Noise Pollution in Some Hospitals of Erbil - Iraq: Estimation and Analysis
Abstract
Abstract: The patient is exposed to high doses of noise due to the overlap of high levels of outside noise pollution with\r\npatient care services in hospitals in addition to the result of the relationship between the doctor, patient, and various\r\nmedical education activities. In this study, the level of noise in patients\' wards and other affected sites was evaluated in\r\nfour hospitals in Erbil city, the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Sound levels were recorded using the digital sound level meter at\r\ndifferent times to determine the rate of noise experienced by the patient and medical staff. The study showed that the\r\nmeasured equivalent sound pressure (LAeq) levels were relatively higher in hospitals near public and crowded streets. The\r\nresults also showed that government hospitals are exposed to a higher level of noise compared to private hospitals, and the\r\nreason may be that the first contains a larger number of medical personnel, patients, and visitors accompanying the\r\npatients. In general, the noise in all the studied hospitals was higher than the standard of the World Health Organization\r\n(WHO) and the European Union, especially in the patient wards where readings ranged from 40-80 dB (A) in the Private\r\nHospitals and 70-90 dB(A) in the Public hospitals.
Author
Safaa Mustafa Hameed
ISSN
ISSN: 0974-5823
Publish Date: 2022-01-01