Plan afoot to make AIIMS a green hospital

NEW DELHI: A proposal to turn AIIMS into a green institution—replacing old transformers with solar panels, swapping sodium vapour lamps for LEDs and setting up an energy management system—has been submitted. The aim is to reduce energy consumption per patient by 50 per cent.

Deputy director (administration) V Sreenivas said several meetings have been held with the agency appointed for feasibility study and implementation will start soon.

AIIMS currently receives a monthly power bill of over Rs 1 crore. "When the institute was developed in the 1950s, energy and environment issues were not given appropriate consideration. The NDA government has taken up this project to make AIIMS a green hospital—an example for other hospitals to follow," said a senior health ministry official. Union health minister J P Nadda has been actively pursuing the initiative.

Nadda has asked AIIMS director M C Misra to formulate a booklet of guidelines for disinfection and sterilization of operation theatres and carrying out infection control. About the Kayakalp initiative, Nadda said, "We have launched the Kayakalp initiative in central health institutions across the country. Participants will compete on various parameters—cleanliness, housekeeping and control of infection and germs."

"The winner of the first prize will be awarded Rs 5 crore, while the second and third prize winners shall receive Rs 3 crore and Rs 1 crore, respectively," said Nadda. "Similar guidelines have been laid down for district hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres to encourage them to establish sustainable standards of cleanliness and hygiene."

Given the high footfall at AIIMS every day—33 lakh patients and their attendants visited last year—Nadda said it was indeed a challenge to keep its premises clean. "Keeping an institution such as AIIMS clean on a daily basis is a herculean task. It needs the cooperation of various stakeholders," he said.