Back to the Future? Back to the Past?: Paradigm Shifts in Clinical Practice

Date: 13 Oct 2026 | Time: 1040 - 1100 | Venue: The NAK Auditorium, Academia (SGH Campus) 

Track: Session 1.1 Environmental Sustainability and Valued Care

Speaker:

Overview:

Operating theatres (OT) are the largest waste generators within hospitals, generating anywhere from 50-70% of an institution’s waste. In recent decades, due to a number of factors, surgery and clinical equipment becoming more complex along with increased infection control concerns, and easy inexpensive production of single use plastics, the sheer volume and number of single use disposables have become overwhelming, becoming a significant contributing factor in the carbon footprint and waste generation in OT.

As part of our journey towards sustainable healthcare for our patients, hospitals, and planet, Changi General Hospital’s Office of Sustainable Health/OT Green committee has worked collaboratively with our IPC, Environmental services, anaesthetists, surgeons, nurses and technicians to pilot initiatives that address this issue. From the re-introduction of reusable fabric caps, the recycling of OT gowns and the extended use of anaesthetic breathing circuits, teamwork, evidence and patient safety have been core pillars of these changes in clinical practice.