Sustainable Hospitals: an emergency that can’t wait

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Elisa Mariana Ramírez Rangel, a third year medical student at Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

A sustainable hospital is one that balances the needs of its users and the environment, consuming fewer resources and generating less waste. But what is considered waste in the hospital setting?

According to the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection in Mexico, waste includes all materials that, regardless of their physical state, represents a risk to the environment, health or natural resources due to their corrosive, reactive, explosive, toxic, flammable or biologically infectious characteristics. These are known as HBIW (hazardous biological infectious waste), and their disposal is regulated worldwide.

An article from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana notes that the nursing staff are the ones who most frequently attend environmental coordination sessions on the proper handling of such waste. While the absence of medical staff is common. This leads to poor waste separation, which can result in accidents involving third parties, such as cleaning staff or waste collectors.

That is why its essential to promote good practices for HBIW disposal among all health professionals. This is one of the fundamental bridges toward increasing the number of sustainable hospitals.

A decade ago, Mexico´s Ministry of Health proposed a National Plan to ensure Access to sustainable hospitals. Among its proposals was the creation of educational spaces focused on health promotion and disease prevention. However, today curative medicine is prioritized, and prevention has lost attention and investment. This is a mistake. Both government leaders and health professionals must remember that ongoing prevention reduces de number of patients in long term, along with hospital costs and environmental waste.

Another very important aspect, rarely taken into account, is the need to consider the natural surroundings before constructing a hospital.

Hospital design should make use of natural light and ventilation through well-oriented atriums, skylights, solar chimneys, or wind towers, thus reducing use of electricity. Systems for rainwater harvesting and wastewater should also be implemented.

Futhermore, hospitals should be built in green areas, away from densely paved urban zones. This helps reduce the heat island effect and favors the use of solar energy.

I know that in developed countries this is already a reality, sustainable technologies are in place, and there is political Will. However, in Mexico and other developing nations, this is still a dream, whether due to corruption, lack of interest, or lach¿k of awereness.

As health professionals, we must act from our own trenches. Prioritizing our patients´ well-being does not exclude caring for the environment.

Every action counts. There is no humal health without environmental health.

About the author

Elisa Mariana Ramírez Rangel, a third year medical student at Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico. She is interested in community service and in the importance of values in medical practice. She enjoys spending time with her friends, and together they try to contribute, even in small ways, to their community.