Green Hospitals: The UAE’s Sustainability Measures in the Healthcare Sector
The UAE’s healthcare sector has undergone a massive transformation in the last 52 years. With advancements in medical technology, a skilled workforce, and top-notch facilities, the United Arab Emirates positions itself as the leading force of healthcare resilience.
The nation’s efforts to improve its healthcare systems continue with a new mission – to minimize the healthcare industry’s impact on the environment by adopting the green hospital concept.
According to the World Economic Forum’s report, the healthcare sector’s CO2 footprint could triple by 2050 if left unmonitored. This is a growing concern and of paramount importance.
In this article, we’ll explore the UAE’s initiatives to achieve sustainability in healthcare, and how hospitals contribute to bringing about a change for the benefit of the environment and people’s health.
What is a green hospital?
A green hospital is a concept that solely focuses on the provision of healthcare while protecting the environment.
The idea began with understanding the effects of hazardous medical waste on the environment as well as human health.
By transitioning to eco-friendly green hospitals, the healthcare sector can aid in conserving the environment and safeguarding the well-being of human beings proactively.
The UAE’s stance on environmental sustainability in healthcare
A new whitepaper by Dubai Science Park, in collaboration with EY, was released at Arab Health in January 2024. According to its findings, “Research efforts must be rapidly localized to improve patient outcomes, deliver precision medicine, and catalyze scientific excellence as the UAE’s healthcare expenditure is projected to reach AED 112.7 billion by 2027.”
In the Smart Hospital and Interoperability Zone of Arab Health, the Department of Health (DoH) – Abu Dhabi set goals to achieve sustainability in the healthcare industry. These goals aim to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2030 and achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.
The DoH’s healthcare sustainability agenda focuses on three key areas:
- Healthcare waste: Enabling hospitals and clinics to safely treat and dispose of waste.
- Infrastructure: The implementation of green building technologies in the healthcare sector. This involves utilizing recyclable materials for hospital construction and switching to clean and renewable energy sources.
- Operations: The adoption of sustainable operations for food procurement, chemicals, water, and transport.
The DoH’s efforts are leading to the establishment of a robust governance model for Green Hospitals across Abu Dhabi over the coming years. Additionally, the Department is collaborating with partners across the healthcare industry to develop accreditation and labeling for Green Hospitals in the Emirate.
This year, the Department will provide the necessary guidance and training to hospitals and clinics to operate sustainably. This includes the provision of access to international networks such as Global Green and Healthy Hospitals and the International Hospital Federation to gain more knowledge and adopt practices for sustainability in healthcare.
How hospitals in the UAE adopt greener healthcare systems
Hospitals across the UAE have already taken the initiative to achieve a stronger and sustainable healthcare ecosystem. Let’s delve deeper into the practices and efforts undertaken and maintained by the nation’s healthcare industry.
American Hospital Dubai
Last year, the American Hospital Dubai launched its sustainability policy, announcing that it aims to adopt green healthcare measures by 2025. The hospital’s initiatives involve measuring CO2 emissions to reduce its environmental footprint.
The American Hospital Dubai has implemented a range of sustainable practices to contribute towards energy conservation. These include e-recycling, medical waste management, and the use of eco-friendly cleaning solutions and building materials, to name a few.
The hospital also works towards a 100% paperless environment.
Aster Healthcare Group
Aster Healthcare Group has made great efforts to effectively manage waste by recycling 423,806 kilograms of waste. This includes cardboard, paper, plastic, metals, food, and biomedical waste. It has also minimized paper usage by maintaining digital records, resulting in a 70% decrease.
Aster Hospitals has solar panels installed on its rooftops and parking lots to utilize sustainable energy. Additionally, it has reduced water consumption by 17% via recycling practices throughout all its facilities.
PureHealth
PureHealth announced its pledge to commit to Net Zero emissions by 2040 at the Longevity of the Planet Summit in Abu Dhabi last year; this pledge aligns with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). PureHealth is the first healthcare company in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa to make this promise.
The company has developed a detailed decarbonization strategy which includes a range of sustainable business practices such as enhanced waste management, restrictions on fugitive emissions, and sustainable procurement. The plan also involves utilizing cleaner transport fleets and energy-efficient buildings.
Additionally, PureHealth is deploying IoT-based solutions to monitor and reduce energy consumption across the company’s facilities.
RAK Hospital
RAK Hospital has committed to reducing paper usage by 90% this year, mainly focusing on raising awareness among patients about the benefits of choosing digital copies for their medical records.
In order to conserve energy, RAK Hospital has adopted sustainable upgrades such as a wet wall system for air-cooled chillers to decrease the heat load. It has also replaced old lamps with LEDs.
Over six months last year, the hospital transitioned to eco-conscious practices for waste management. These methods resulted in a reduction in its utility bills by a few thousand dirhams.
Wrapping up
The transformation of the UAE’s healthcare sector to the green hospital concept can revolutionize healthcare in the country. We’ve seen some of the major hospitals in the nation begin their sustainable journey to becoming greener, and we can expect more hospitals to follow suit. These persistent efforts to reduce carbon footprints and limit the exposure of harmful medical waste have the potential to make a difference in environmental conservation in the country.
