Analysis of Environmental Footprints of Health Centers in Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during December, 2020 to June, 2021 at Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India to evaluate the ecological footprint of 15 hospitals that were chosen at random. The purpose of this study was to assess the ecological impact of these medical facilities-which included both government and private hospitals—across five blocks of district. The ecological footprint framework was utilized to analyze factors such as food waste, solid waste, water consumption and energy consumption and material use, determining their impact on biocapacity. The average ecological footprints of the hospitals ranged from 116.5 to 271.4 global hectares (g ha). The ecological footprints varied across different blocks as follows Jawalamukhi (349.7 g ha), Dharamshala (535.6 g ha), Nurpur (698.3 g ha), Palampur (722.3 g ha), and Kangra (814.0 g ha). Notably, the hospitals in the Jawalamukhi block were the most sustainable, exhibiting the lowest ecological footprint. These results underscore the significant environmental impact of hospitals and the urgent need for initiatives to reduce their ecological footprint, particularly in the Kangra block. The results emphasize the importance of sustainable resource utilization in healthcare institutions to minimize their ecological footprint and promote environmental sustainability. To achieve a balance between providing healthcare services and protecting the environment, the research recommends extensive actions to enhance the effectiveness of resource utilization, waste management, and energy consumption in hospitals.