Hospitals, medical centers, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare practices are all following the trend of slowly moving towards a more sustainable way of operating. The healthcare industry uses a lot of energy and is responsible for a lot of waste, but there are a few big ways that healthcare organizations can make a substantial change.
Here are 5 big changes that could make a huge impact on sustainability in healthcare.
Energy-Efficient Equipment
Switching over to more energy-efficient equipment could make a major difference in the industry. New technology means that medical equipment is becoming more and more efficient, and making these upgrades would be a step in the right direction.
Companies like PHC are currently providing reliable, high-quality medical and laboratory equipment with a focus on less energy consumption and less of an environmental impact.
More Sustainable Energy Sources
More than upgrading the technology used, businesses in the healthcare industry can look towards more sustainable energy sources overall. Switching over to solar or wind energy will do more than just reduce their carbon footprint, but also decrease their expenses and leave more room in their budgets for other important expenses.
Solar energy in particular is a reliable and sustainable clean source of energy that can be used to power even huge buildings such as hospitals.
Sustainable Transportation
Electric vehicles are making waves in the motor industry, but this should be extended to business transport too, and more importantly, medical transport.
The very first electric ambulance was recently launched in the UK and as more and more hospitals jump on this trend, the more the demand will increase and the more other countries and cities will begin to opt for this mode of transportation too.
The use of electric vehicles greatly reduces one’s carbon footprint, eliminates air pollution and is far more sustainable in general – especially if the hospitals are also making use of clean energy sources to power their ambulances.
Reducing Medical Waste
Unfortunately, the majority of medical waste can’t be recycled. Because of this, many healthcare facilities don’t bother recycling even the waste that can go through the recycling process.
While this needs to change and is in the process of changing across the world, businesses in the healthcare industry can work towards reducing waste in the meantime.
Researching clean and sustainable incineration is an important part of this process, and healthcare practitioners can do their part in using less, wasting less, and disposing of essential waste more sustainably.
Increase Availability of Online Appointments
Making online doctor’s appointments available to patients and further, encouraging them, is a great way to create more sustainable healthcare.
This will of course reduce the number of patients traveling by car, bus, and train to reach their doctor’s appointments, and reduce carbon emissions and the burning of fossil fuels in general.
Furthermore, this is a great way to make healthcare more accessible to those who might struggle with transportation and is a perfect solution for appointments that would not require a physical examination.