A Platinum-Graded Green Hospital Building in India during COVID-19 Pandemic: From Planning to Execution and Outcome

Abstract

Background: A green hospital building has superior qualities over general hospital buildings in terms of energy conservation, use of natural resources, clean indoor air quality, green housekeeping, and other characteristics that improve patient outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare organizations worldwide faced significant challenges and difficulties running hospitals. These challenges motivated the healthcare administration to find possible solutions for possible protocols for the functioning of the hospital. Methods: It was a prospective study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in north India from March 2020 to Feb 2022. After multiple changes in the fields of committee formation, human resource management, training, setting of the donning area and the doffing area, setting of the patient care areas and the infection control practices, equipment utilization, protocols for the support services, patient status updation to family members, and finally maintaining the patient data for the official purpose. Results: The hospital statistics showed a recovery rate of 81%, a mortality rate of 18%, and average length of stay of 8 days in COVID-19 patient care. Conclusion: The experiences, the challenges learned, and the solutions made to combat this pandemic will be the guide for future pandemics. The green hospital building proved its supremacy in patient outcomes and is recommended by hospital administrators as a future hospital building.