Why Sustainable Hospitals? - Importance, Issues and Solutions

This presentation discusses the importance of sustainable hospitals, the issues they face, and possible solutions to achieve sustainability. It highlights the impact of non-sustainable practices on the environment, employees, and patients. The presentation also explores the role of the government in promoting sustainability in hospitals. The subject is sustainability in relation to developing an environmental hospital, and the course code and college/university are not mentioned.

Arlene Ingal
S309979
“Why Sustainable
Hospitals?”

Why should it be sustainable?
 Healthcare sector supposed to be the leader and be
an example to other sectors
 Main employers in community and have high
economic impact.
 Largest energy consumers and greenhouse gas
emitters
 Produce huge amount of solid and toxic waste
products
 Largest consumers of water and other resources
 Has a corporate social responsibility

“A sustainable healthcare system works within the
available environmental and social resources, protecting
and improving health now and for future generations.
This means working to reduce carbon emissions,
minimising waste & environmental pollution, making the
best use of scarce resources, building resilience to a
changing climate and nurturing community strengths
and assets.”

My Thesis
Hospitals should be cautious about the footprint they
create as it creates an impact on the health of the
environment, employees and also the patients.
Sustainable practices will ensure that the hospital
saves time and money and at the same time, they
will also gain return on investment.

Hospitals are not
sustainable as they are
creating an impact by
way of dumping
medical waste, wasting
water and wasting
electricity.
This is ultimately
creating an impact on
the society,
government patients
and also the
employees.
Sustainabilit
y in relation
to in
developing
an
environment
al hospital
Sustainabilit
y issues
Possible
solutions to
help achieve
sustainabilit
y
Social – Competitive industry,
money making, increase in health
problems

Environmental Concerns
 Wastage of energy
 Change in climatic
conditions
 Emission of green
house gas
 Generate huge
amount of toxic
waste (Shy-Lee,
2017)
Issues
 Usage of lightings
that consume less
electricity
 Use reusable drapes
and clothes
 Disposal of hazardous
wastes through
appropriate methods
 Reduce packaging
 usage of unwanted
hazardous chemicals
should be avoided
(Faezipour, 2014)
Possible Solutions

Social Concerns
 Health of employees
 Health of patients
 Health of the society
 Lack of understanding
of changing
environmental
condition
Issues
 Preventive measures
 Educate the patients
about the serious health
concerns
 Educate them of the
simple preventive health
measures
 Camps to educate the
society (Ranke, 2015)
Possible Solutions

Economic Concerns
 Increasing cost of
equipments
 Meeting compliance
requirements
 Compulsion to technology
& innovation
 Pressure to reduce price
and provide better
service
Issues
 Tie-up with
government for
funding
 Lease/rent
equipments
 Sharing technology
resources with
hospitals
(Nascimento 2017)
Possible Solutions

Bibliography
 Shy-Lee, T. (2017). Environmental Sustainability In Hospitals Health
Technology Assessment - A Survey, International journal of technology
assessment in Health care. 33(S1), 198-199
 Faezipour, M. (2014). A systems thinking approach to apply
water sustainability in hospitals. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. 32(25),
78-95
 Ranke, T. (2015). Evaluation of the Balanced Menus Challenge: a healthy food
andsustainability programme in hospitals in Maryland. Public Health Nutrition.
18(13), 2341-2349
 Nascimento, G . (2017). Corporate sustainability practices in accredited
Brazilian hospitals: a degree-of-maturity assessment of the environmental
dimension. Revista de Administração. 52(1), 26-35

Conclusion
 The essay would study the scenario in Australia
 The issues would be narrowed down and only few
sustainability issued would be addressed.
 The impact of non-sustainable practices on the society
would be analysed
 Few examples would be explored
 The role of government would also be explored