Cebu City hospitals to go green and healthy

Cebu City — Now that going green and healthy is not just the “in” but also the right thing to do, Cebu City hospitals are given options to consciously go green and healthy.

In a forum sponsored by Health Care Without Harm-Asia and the City of Cebu, the Global Green and Healthy Hospital (GGHH) is launched to bring in the awareness to the city hospitals.

“The Global Green and Healthy Hospitals is a network of hospitals committed to reducing health care’s ecological footprint,” said Merci Ferrer, HCWH-Asia Director. “We have been working with different hospitals in the Asia region and we have seen some of the best practices in the Philippines and one is in Cebu.”

GGHH is a network of hospitals, health systems, and health organizations that represent the interest of over 3,500 hospitals spanning six continents. It is composed of members who are committed to implementing ten interconnected goals.

In a report on best practices in hospitals in the Philippines, to be published in June by HCWH and the United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility (UNDP-GEF), Perpetual Succor Hospital’s proper management of biodegradable waste and sustainable energy production thru biodigester and solar panel use are a major highlight.

The ten goals of the GGHH include: (a) Leadership that prioritizes environmental health; (b) Chemical substitution to replace harmful chemicals with safer alternatives; (c) Waste reduction, treatment and safe disposal of health care waste; (d) Energy efficiency and renewable energy generation; (e) Water reduction and supply of potable water; (f) Transportation strategies; (g) Food purchasing and availability of sustainably grown and healthy food; (h) Pharmaceuticals safe management and disposal; (i) Buildings design and construction; and (j) Purchasing safer and more sustainable products and materials.

“Having visited hospitals in Cebu, we see where the ten goals can find its way into each of the hospital’s existing practices,” said Ruth Stringer, HCWH International Science and Policy Coordinator. Stringer has advised in the sustainable waste management system project of the Health Care Nepal Foundation (HECAF) which is now being backed and supported by the government.

The goals of the GGHH is a welcome addition to the practices of hospitals in Cebu. As Councilor Nida Cabrera of Cebu puts it, “the Global Green and Healthy Hospital will definitely open doors to the health care system in Cebu and to serve beyond healing the patients.”

Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of more than 500 organizations in 53 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. Visit the HCWH website for more information.