Urgently address indoor air pollution in hospitals

A RECENT study has exposed that Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) have harmful air pollutants 10 times higher than the permissible limit in winter. The indoor air quality of these healthcare installations during the pre-monsoon period remain two times worse than the permissible limit recommended by the WHO. The air quality of these public hospitals and Sonargaon Upazila Health Complex in Narayanganj were monitored between October 2019 and January 2020. According to a global report published on Wednesday, the air quality of Bangladesh was the worst in the world, while Dhaka was the second-worst air polluted city last year.
The average concentration of particulate matter 2.5 at the three healthcare institutions was 52.28 µg/m3 during pre-monsoon time which is double the permissible limit. In winter, the average concentration of PM 2.5 was 222.53 µg/m3 which is about eight times higher than the nationally permissible limit. Experts said indoor air quality worsens due to various activities of the people and it indicates the unhygienic condition in the hospitals. To improve the indoor air quality at government hospitals, the authorities concerned should focus on the overall hygiene situation and reduce crowding at hospitals.
The monitoring first-of-its-kind, also said toxicity potential (TP) values at the three installations were 10 times higher than normal, which means the environment there could aggravate patients’ health. Extremely high TP values indicated potential severe health consequences of the healthcare professionals and patients. The children’s surgery ward site showed higher particulate matter (PM) concentrations than other indoor sampling locations at the DMCH. Indoor and outdoor air pollution led to 1.23 lakh deaths in Bangladesh in 2017, according to a study titled The State of Global Air 2019.
Poor air quality inside a hospital indicates that there is a high possibility of patients’ conditions getting worse which is dangerous. Proper ventilation can improve the air quality inside the hospitals while cooking inside the wards should be stopped. There is no alternative to cleanliness. The hospital authorities must respond to this wake up call.