SA’s first electric hospital sets tone for climate-ready health system
A Kangaroo Island hospital has transitioned to electric as SA Health tackles what Nicola Spurrier says is “the biggest threat to human health”: climate change.
Kingscote’s Kangaroo Island Health Service (KIHS), which includes hospital and aged care services, is the first healthcare facility in the nation to be fully electric-powered.
The transition took about nine months, as gas-powered assets and infrastructure like hot water systems, steam generator boilers, heaters and cooking appliances were phased out.
The Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network led the change, which the Kangaroo Island Health Service falls under, to reduce environmental impact and be more cost-effective.
According to the State Government, 10 other health sites in the region will take on similar efforts, including the new Mount Barker hospital being built gas-free.
Other environmentally friendly changes rolling out in hospitals across the state include small changes like transitioning to LED lighting and specimen bags made from entirely recycled plastic.
Sustainable changes are set out in SA Health’s new Climate Change Framework, and Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier told InDaily each local health network can adopt it in a way that suits each hospital.
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“Each hospital is different in terms of its clinical care, the sorts of patients that it treats,” she said.
She said while some bigger, tertiary hospitals will require more energy, or some will be situated with great roof space for solar, other smaller regional hospitals might still be using a lot of gas.
“So changing the gas over for them, it’s going to be really critical, whereas other large metropolitan hospitals may not use very much gas, and actually they need to be looking at something else in terms of their carbon mitigation.”
But Spurrier said the transition to a climate-resilient public health system is about more than just infrastructure.
“The other area actually that is more challenging for us in health is not around the infrastructure so much, but is around the clinical work that we do,” she said.
“That’s because even just having a simple blood test, there’s energy involved and resources involved with taking that and sending it to the lab and the laboratory processing it and getting the result back.”
While Spurrier says many tests are “absolutely necessary” for patients, there can be wastage among clinical services.
A 2022 University of Sydney study examining the climate impact of low-value healthcare activity found that unnecessary vitamin D tests – tests that had no health benefit – generated the same carbon emissions as a car driving from Sydney to Perth 59 times and cost the healthcare system about $87 million.
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Spurrier also pointed to scans as being a large energy source, as “one CT scanner uses the same amount of energy as five four-person households”.
“So we have to start thinking about having really high-quality health care, which is evidence-based, and not doing unnecessary testing,” Spurrier said.
“Those sorts of things are more difficult because that takes culture change, and it takes clinicians getting on board and being a bit more thoughtful about their practice… thinking about it from a different perspective, from an environmental and climate change perspective.”
SA Health is responsible for about 30 per cent of the state government’s operational emissions and nationally, healthcare is estimated to contribute to five per cent of Australia’s total carbon emissions.
“To be really frank, and I have said this a number of times, climate change is the biggest threat to human health,” Spurrier said.
“In my job, I’m constantly looking at problems that we are now seeing which are caused by changes in our environment, changes in our climate, and it is having a direct impact on human health.”
Spurrier said heatwaves and bushfires’ impact on health and air quality are often the first to come to mind for Australians, but other health outbreaks are linked to climate.
Recent examples of climate-caused health events include the 2021 Coffin Bay oyster gastro outbreak and a 2022 outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne virus carried by nomadic water birds coming down the Murray River following large downpours on the eastern coast.
Spurrier said even the recent significant algal bloom has caused irritation and health effects to beachgoers, and SA Health’s Climate Change Framework will act as the “blueprint” to tackling climate-driven health challenges.
“It’s terribly important, and everyone can feel that they can get on and do the great work that they need to do, both to reduce carbon emissions and also to work on making sure that we’ve got a very, very resilient community in South Australia.”
Health Minister Chris Picton said “strong action is needed to avoid the impacts of climate change”.
“South Australia is positioned to help ensure a healthier, net-zero future, while continuing to deliver world-class healthcare for all,” he said.
“South Australia is a leader in climate action and renewable energy and our Government is so pleased our public health system will also be doing its part in reducing its climate impact.
“I thank those who have contributed feedback and input to strengthen the Framework and to ensure it is fit for our state health system.”
