Desflurane, an anaesthetic gas used in surgeries, has a global warming potential of around 2,530 times higher than carbon dioxide.
In 2021, we started reducing our desflurane use by placing reminders on vapourisers that deliver the gas and raising awareness among anaesthetists about its environmental impact.
By 2023, we successfully cut desflurane usage by 98%, equivalent to taking over 400 cars off the road annually, by transitioning to less pollutive anaesthetic alternatives.
Nitrous oxide (or laughing gas), another potent greenhouse gas used in surgeries, carries a global warming potential 298 times that of carbon dioxide.
In 2023, it comprised 75% of our total anaesthetic gas footprint. We discovered that leakages from central pipelines, rather than actual operating theatre use, drove this high consumption. We switched from delivering nitrous oxide through central pipelines to small, portable gas cylinders, significantly reducing the risk of leakage.
This change achieved a 96% reduction in monthly nitrous oxide consumption, equivalent to saving over 300,000kg of carbon dioxide annually, or the carbon offsetting by 12,000 trees.
In 2022, nearly 17% of our carbon footprint came from medications.
To reduce overall pharmaceutical usage, we piloted a project in 2023 that educated our care team on prescribing the right medication at the right dose and discouraged unnecessary prescriptions in the Department of Medicine wards. This significantly reduced the number of chronic medications prescribed to patients at discharge.
We expanded this initiative in October 2024 to include end-of-life cancer patients. In six months, we deprescribed an average of three classes of oral medications per patient, including lipid-lowering medications, vitamins/minerals/supplements, and anti-ulcer medications.
This reduces unnecessary treatment burden and refocuses care on patients’ dignity, wishes, and comfort.
