An analysis published in 2019 concluded that, in Portugal, healthcare has an impact of 4.8% on CO2 emissions. 30% could be reduced, believes João Queiroz e Melo, a pioneering transplant surgeon who, 10 years ago, began to promote the reprocessing of single-use devices. Steps were taken, but in May of last year everything stopped, he complains. This is just one facet of the environmental impact of health.
From energy and water consumption to transport for supplies. Hospital waste and the life cycle of medicines. Protective equipment: gloves, surgical gowns (not to mention, in recent years, masks). Clinical material, including one-time use: containers, catheters, suturing machines. Anesthetic gases, which contribute to greenhouse gases. . .
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English translation courtesy of AMDR.
