ABSTRACT
Some sounds are categorized as noise. Noises are considered to be unhealthy, psychologically and physically. Exposure to high levels of noise, acute or chronic, may negatively affect hearing and other functions of the human body. A less noisy environment is needed for day to day activities in a hospital and for rapid recovery of patients, specially when rest is important. Now-a-days hospital atmosphere of silence has changed. Although, the levels of noise in the hospital do not approach industrial level but substantial levels of noise are encountered. This study attempted to monitor the noise levels in different units of Services Hospital, Lahore. The noise levels were measured in CCU, ICU, emergency ward, emergency operation theatre, nursery and the area surrounding the hospital. During the study it was observed that noise in different units of the services hospital was higher than WHO recommendations of 45dB[A] during the day and 20-25dB[A] at night. In the Services Hospital the average noise levels were found to be 69.2 dB[A] during the day and 66.4 dB[A] at night. This paper highlights the need for further studies in the area of noise management in hospital setting and suggests simple common sense measures that may help reduce noise in hospital environment