By Tate Papworth
An innovative project by Western Health has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards.
Under the project, which has been nominated in the health category, the hospital swapped anaesthetic gases to achieve environmental benefit.
According to Western Health the gases used as anaesthetics have similar clinical effects and can be interchanged, although each has a markedly different global warming potential.
The Western Health program helped convert anaesthetists’ choice of anaesthetic agent from desflurane and nitrous oxide to sevoflurane and propofol where clinically possible, to reduce greenhouse impacts and achieve financial savings.
Under the project, desflurane was removed from the anaesthetics trolley and staff undertook education sessions.
Sustainability Victoria chief executive Stan Krpan said the project was exceptional.
“Western Health demonstrated to the judges that they have translated the principles of sustainability into practice to achieve outstanding results for our environment and the state of our future,” he said.
Winners will be announced at the Premier’s Sustainability Awards dinner on Thursday, October 11.
