Sustainable Sanitation through GREEN and CLEAN Hospital Approach: A Strategy for Reducing

Global Warming

Dr.Narong Saiwongse, Duputy Director General,Department of Health, MOPH, Thailand

Population : 63.87 Million

Area : 513,115 Km2/ 198,115 mile2

Public Health hospitals : 831 hospitals

Sub district Hospitals: 9,802 sub district Hosp.

Thailand’s environmental condition : have been affected by numerous changes both in the global context and the country’s internal factors Climate changes

Population growth

Urbanization

1. Background and rationale

Urbanization Impact

• The water quality has been deteriorating• The number of clean surface water sources has been

declining

wastewater drainage from communities and other places

caused by

Contamination with faecal coliform bacteria

Wastes from Health-care facilities

reduce carbon footprint and return to new resources

Promote appropriate management

• solid wastes• health-care waste• wastewater

: Public Health Collaborative Campaign to Reduce Global Warming through Sustainable Sanitation

The campaign aims : To promote collaborative efforts among state health-

care facilities under the Ministry of Public Health for reducing global warming with the GREEN and CLEAN approach and enable them.

To serve as a role model for other agencies including local authorities and communities.

GREEN and CLEAN Hospital

The campaign expectation : To increase health personnel’s awareness

and understanding of health effects of global warming and how sustainable sanitation can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

GREEN and CLEAN Hospitals GREEN and CLEAN Hospital

2. Project’s Objectives

To promote the state health-care facilities under the Ministry of Public Health to implement the GREEN and CLEAN Strategies.

To promote the good practice models of GREEN and CLEAN Hospitals to serve as a role model for others.

To increase awareness and understanding of health personnel in reducing global warming by sustainable sanitation.

3. Project’s main activities

GREEN

is a group of activities

CLEAN

is includes strategies

Encourage the hospitals

to practise in a sustainable manner.

Project’s main activities (cont.)

The GREEN comprises activities

related to - Garbage

- Restroom

- Energy

- Environment

- Nutrition

G

R

E

E N

Project’s main activities (cont.)

Garbage or solid waste management

using the 3-Rs principles

Project’s main activities (cont.)

G

Project’s main activities (cont.) Restroom improvement, especially public

restrooms or toilets in the hospitals to meet the

Healthiness, Accessibility and Safety (HAS)

toilet standards.

Project’s main activities (cont.)

R

• Waste water management

Project’s main activities (cont.) Project’s main activities (cont.)

• Nutrient recovery

Energy use reduction and alternative energy

promotion, including the use of renewable

energy such as biogas

Project’s main activities (cont.)

E

Project’s main activities (cont.)

Environmental improvement and healthy

workplace promotion

Project’s main activities (cont.)

E

Nutrition promotion including food safety as

well as the use of organic food for patients and

products from neighbouring communities in

order to decrease the use of chemical fertilizer

and to save energy for food transportation.

Project’s main activities (cont.)

N

Project’s main activities (cont.)

The CLEAN strategies comprise Communication,

Leadership, Effectiveness, Activities and Networking.

C : communication for creating good understanding and awareness .

L : leadership for starting a prototype project and resolving any problems .

Project’s main activities (cont.)

E : effectiveness enhancement to achieve the target .

A : activity creation with strengthened cooperation .

N : networking for all project sites to work together.

Project’s main activities (cont.)

• The guidelines and technical documents on the GREEN and CLEAN Hospital Project have been developed and disseminated to the participating hospitals

4. Project Accomplishments

4.Project Accomplishments

• The training courses have been conducted for building the capacity of responsible personnel.

Project Accomplishments (cont.)

• The carbon footprint calculator programme has been created and promoted to the participating hospitals to use as the tool for evaluating the effectiveness of the project.

Project Accomplishments (cont.)

• The annual seminar has been organized. It aims to promote the collaborative among GREEN and CLEAN Hospitals Network, to share experiences and knowledge, and to reward the best practice models.

Project Accomplishments (cont.)

Project Accomplishments (cont.)

• There are over 4,000 hospitals throughout Thailand that are implementing the GREEN and CLEAN Hospital Project.

Project Accomplishments (cont.)

0

5001000

15002000

2500

30003500

4000

2010 2011 2012year

num

ber

Hospitals (Regional,Provincial anddistrict Hospital)Subdistrict Health-care facitities

• A number of good practice models of GREEN and CLEAN Hospitals in 49 provinces over the country welcome and ready to share their experiences and key of success factors of GREEN and CLEAN Hospitals with others.

Project Accomplishments (cont.)

The health-care sector is well-positioned to “ lead by example ”

Sustainable sanitation and climate change can be linked by GREEN and CLEAN Hospital Approach

5.Lesson learned

The active role of the health sector in sustainable sanitation management can benefit health and contribute to long term goals of reducing global warming

The capacity and awareness of health personnel need to be built continuously

The integrated approach of GREEN activities and routine work should be encouraged among health personnel in the hospitals

Lesson learned (cont.)

The evaluation method for measuring the linkage between GREEN and effectiveness of reducing GHG should be developed, so that the participating hospitals can implement the project with more confidence.

The GREEN and CLEAN Strategy can be applied and promoted in other sectors as well.

Lesson learned (cont.)

Increase the involvement of the rest hospitals and other sectors in the project.

Develop method of measurement for monitoring and evaluation the effectiveness of the project implementation.

6.The way forward

Create and strengthen the GREEN and CLEAN Hospital network both at national, regional and global level.

Promote innovation and appropriate technologies in managing sustainable sanitation in GREEN and CLEAN Hospital.

The way forward (cont.)

Thank You For Your Attention