GREEN HOSPITAL – A WAY AHEAD FOR A SMART HOSPITAL
INTRODUCTION
A green and healthy hospital is the one that promotes public health by continuously reducing its environmental impact and ultimately eliminating its contribution to the burden of disease. A green and healthy hospital recognizes the connection between human health and the environment and demonstrates that understanding through its governance, strategy and operations.
It connects local needs with environmental action and practices primary prevention by actively engaging in efforts to foster community environmental health, health equity and a green economy
Considering the above facts, Hospaccx team work on the market trends and dynamic of Green Hospital. This is macroficial study of Green Hospital – A way ahead for a smart hospital, if you want to get into more detail you can contact
HISTORY OF GREEN HOSPITAL
1972- The first such effort made in this direction was the United Nations Conference on Human Environment, held at Stockholm.
1987- World Commission on Environment and Development Report, also called Brundtland Report.
1992- The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, famous as The Earth Summit, convened in Rio de Janeiro, resulted in Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration of Environment and Development.
1993- United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is one of the earliest such councils. Is a membership-based, non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated.
2002- World Green Building Council (World GBC), was formally established, is a coalition of national green building councils in more than one hundred countries.
SEVEN STEPS TOWARDS GREEN HOSPITAL
- Establishing a green team:
One of the first things a hospital should do before implementing a sustainability program is to create a team tasked with leading the overall initiative. For example, the team might focus on increasing the amount and type of recycling practiced at the hospital; sorting waste streams to minimize the hospital’s contribution to landfills; and increasing awareness of how employees can positively impact the environment. The team should be both empowered and supported by leadership to execute initiatives but also be held to specific goals.
- Document destruction services:
While most hospitals recycle some paper, leaving patient documents in recycling bins could put sensitive patient information at risk. It is important for hospitals to hire a vendor who will securely collect, shred/destroy documents and recycle the materials according to HIPAA regulations.
- Medical device reprocessing:
Hospitals discard everything from surgical gowns and towels to laparoscopic ports after a single use. In operating rooms, items that are never used are thrown away in order to maintain a sterile environment and prevent infections. Proper reprocessing and sterilization of medical devices allows hospitals to reduce the amount of waste entering landfills.
- Document management services:
Streamlining printing and copying processes can reduce costs, while improving productivity. For example, implementing a print-on-demand process reduces the amount of paper used each year. Replacing single-function devices like printers and copiers with multifunction systems substantially reduces energy use. Remanufacturing and recycling office equipment diverts electronic waste from landfills.
- Capital equipment re-selling and recycling:
Hospitals can generate revenue by selling surplus equipment for reuse throughout the world. There are companies that will re-sell these items via live auction, and medical equipment that is not purchased can be recycled. By re-selling or recycling capital assets, hospitals can generate revenue and reduce their waste impact on the environment.
- Computer hardware disposal:
Disposal services encompass the retirement, redeployment, remarketing and environmentally responsible recycling of personal computers, workstations, servers, network equipment and associated peripherals. This not only helps break down used equipment to rare earth minerals so they can be reused, but also helps reduce the demand on finite resources and lowers the need to continue to exploit areas that have the minerals. Safe disposal of technology assets provides additional assurance of patient privacy.
- LEED certification:
Having a building LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified will help:
1.) Lower operating costs;
2.) Conserve energy, water and other resources;
3.) Provide a healthier environment for occupants; and
4.) Qualify for money-saving incentives, such as tax rebates and zoning allowances.
In addition, LEED design encourages the use of natural light and healing gardens, since research has shown a link between nature and stress reduction and the improvement of an overall sense of well-being.
FOCUS AREAS FOR GREEN HOSPITAL DESIGN
- Lighting
- Indoor Air Quality – Passive & Active Measures
- Green House Keeping
- Clean & Green Interior Building Materials
- Gardens & Landscape
CONCEPT OF GREEN HOSPITAL
BENEFITS OF GREEN HOSPITAL
- Improves quality of patient care
- Faster patient recovery time thereby reducing the length of the stay in the hospital
- Employees are motivated and hence improve their quality of work
- Reduction in operation cost by optimum consumption of power and water
- Improvement in the overall hospital performance
BARRIERS FOR GREEN HOSPITALS
- System redundancy — Requirement of secondary and tertiary backup systems to ensure that operations do not cease during emergencies.
- Regulatory compliance — Health and safety regulations and building codes prevent hospitals to adopt sustainable practices.
- Operational hours — Health facilities function uninterruptedly throughout the year.
- Infection control — Hospitals require strict infection control protocols which often run counter to sustainability practices.
- Ventilation rates — more frequent air changes are required in a hospital as compared to other commercial office spaces.
- Accreditation and licensing demands — Compliance with central, state and accreditation standards might prevent facilities to make environmentally sound choices.
- Intense energy and water use — Health care uses 2.1 times more energy per square foot than commercial buildings, and hospitals typically use 80-150 gallons of water per bed per day.
- High-volume waste stream — about 0.5 Kg of hazardous waste is generated per bed per day.
- Chemical use — Hazardous chemicals used to clean and disinfect, sterilize equipment, treat certain diseases and for laboratory research and testing can be toxic and hazardous.
- Life cycle — the exteriors of hospital buildings can last long, but interiors require renovations every few years.
ELEMENTS OF A GREEN HOSPITAL
- Energy Conservation
- Alternative Means of Energy Generation
- Designing Green Building
- Waste Management
- Water Conservation
- Reducing Transportation Cost
- Providing Healthy Food
LIST OF GREEN HOSPITALS IN INDIA
- Kohinoor City Hospital, Mumbai
- Max Balaji Hospital, Delhi
- ESI Hospital, Bangalore
- Fortis Hospital, Delhi
- Govt. Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College & Hospital, Salem
- Asian Health Care, Mumbai
- Matushri Monghiben Ramji Savla Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai
- Medica Hospitals Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad
- Lazarus Hospitals Ltd, Hyderabad
- Aster Medicity Hospital, Kochi
- Max Hospital, Mohali
CONCLUSION
Hospitals operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And in the process of treating patients, they use a lot of water and energy and generate a lot of waste from medical products, protective drapes and packaging. Green Hospital will not only reduce the waste by recycling materials and saving energy, but it will also help protect the communities.
Are you planning to design a Green hospital? We can help you to design your dream project, below are the healthcare design services that we offer:-
- Healthcare Architecture Design services
- MEP Design
- Landscape Design services
- Structural Design services
- Interior Design services
It is the superficial and macro level study for more details kindly contact Hospaccx Healthcare business consulting Pvt. ltd on hospaccx.india@gmail.com Or you can visit our website on hospaccxconsulting.com
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