Curing People, Hurting Earth—It’s Time to Change

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Urooj Amjad, a 21-year-old medical student from Pakistan. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

We often view hospitals as places dedicated to healing lives and curing diseases; however, beneath this idealized perception lies a harsh reality. In Europe, the healthcare sector generates about 4.7% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly 65% of their total energy demand is accounted for by heating, cooling, and lighting, and unfortunately, many European hospitals still heavily rely on fossil fuels. The shift to renewable energy sources is not only possible but is already taking place in innovative health systems like those in Sweden and the Netherlands. Features like natural ventilation, solar panels, and high-efficiency insulation can reduce both energy bills and carbon output. Patients in greener hospitals often recover better due to improved air quality and natural light. Green procurement policies that remove single-use plastics, water-saving fixtures that can lower hospital water use by up to 30%, and sourcing local food for hospital meals can all significantly reduce the healthcare footprint. According to WHO, the amount of hazardous waste generated by each hospital bed per day is 0.5 to 2.5 kilograms. However, much of this waste, especially plastics and packaging, is avoidable. Strong recycling programs, composting food waste, and safely reprocessing medical instruments can result in less waste in landfills and save money. The NHS in the UK has saved £33 million a year by adopting sustainable waste practices. In central Italy, pilot waste-minimization trials achieved a 14.8% reduction in domestic bag waste and a 15.7% reduction in clinical waste over one to three years, delivering both environmental and financial benefits.

Heatwaves, flash floods, and wildfires, intensified by climate change, lead to more hospital admissions, but a dilemma is that hospital energy use, waste products, and emissions add to these disasters. Therefore, a future where every hospital uses clean energy, where zero-waste surgeries are common, and the healthcare fraternity acts as climate advocates is not a distant need but a cry of the present. To protect every newborn taking its first breath, every elderly person fighting to live, and every vulnerable community already facing climate injustice, hospitals must take the lead. Greener hospitals are not just eco-projects; they represent a moral obligation. How can we think of saving lives with the practices that are simultaneously annihilating our home planet? The planet cries for greener care.

About the author

Urooj Amjad is a 21-year-old medical student from Pakistan with a strong passion for community welfare, climate activism, and public health advocacy. When she is not stuck with exams, deadlines to meet, and piles of work, she loves to engage in activities that empower the youth and neglected communities and volunteer for causes that promote health equity and environmental sustainability through grassroots action and awareness campaigns. She believes that every individual has a voice that can make a difference, and working for humanity brings an immense amount of joy and peace not only to your own heart but also to the lives of those around you.

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