MUMBAI, Nov. 29 -- Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri West has become the first hospital in India and southern Asia, and only the fifth worldwide, to receive the Joint Commission International's (JCI) Certificate of Distinction in Healthcare Sustainability. At Kokilaben Hospital, the biggest shift came in the operating theatres with the switch to low-emission anaesthetic gases. High-impact gases were phased out and replaced with alternatives that release significantly fewer greenhouse emissions. A second major change was the transition to low-carbon inhalers in place of traditional metered-dose inhalers, which rely on high-global-warming propellants. "This has been introduced for two to three years," said Dr Santosh Shetty, the hospital's CEO. In its laboratories, the hospital introduced serum tube consolidation to reduce the number of tubes required per patient sample, cutting plastic consumption, chemical waste and the overall carbon footprint of lab operations, Dr Shetty added. Other steps included adopting turbine-based ventilators, installing LED lights.htc...