Hospital Noise Pollution in a Tertiary Hill-State Hospital: A Spatio-Temporal Assessment

Background: Hospitals are sensitive acoustic environments where excessive noise can adversely affect patient recovery and staff performance. Despite global recommendations to maintain hospital noise levels within 30–45 dB(A), evidence suggests that actual sound levels often exceed these limits, particularly in developing and geographically constrained regions such as Uttarakhand. Aim & Objectives: To measure and analyse noise levels across key functional zones of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Uttarakhand and evaluate temporal variation over a two-week period in order to inform evidence-based policy and hospital-level noise mitigation strategies. Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a calibrated digital sound level meter to measure LAeq values across five hospital zones (ICU, OPD, General Ward, Administrative Office, and Utility Area) during both day and night shifts over two consecutive weeks. Statistical analyses were performed to assess spatial and temporal differences in noise exposure. Results: All measured zones exceeded recommended international noise limits. The OPD recorded the highest LAeq values (?74 dB), followed by the General Ward and Utility Area. Administrative zones also breached the 45 dB threshold. Night-time levels were marginally lower but consistently above permissible standards. Major noise sources included human activity, medical equipment, and external traffic. Conclusion: The findings confirm widespread acoustic non-compliance across both clinical and non-clinical zones within a tertiary hill-state hospital. This spatio-temporal assessment provides context-specific evidence to inform environmental noise management, structured noise audits, and integration of acoustic standards into hospital accreditation and infrastructure planning frameworks.