Prior to the last two years only the healthcare industry considered the environment, and how this industry affects the environment. For many years, hospitals and clinics aimed at treating patients while the effects of their actions were invisible to them. However, times are changing. In the present world, many of the healthcare organizations are going green, understanding that improving the world’s health is as significant as improving people’s health.

When it comes to healthcare, sustainability cannot be defined merely as the ability to minimize the amount of carbon left on the earth; it’s, therefore, about making proper decisions in a manner that will have an added positive impact on our environment as well as enhance our well-being. With the constant rise in awareness of climate change and its effects, more healthcare organizations globally are implementing environmentally sustainable solutions that will also have a positive impact on their patients, facilities, and financials.

Another modern tendency that deserves to applaud in the sphere of healthcare is the tendency towards green healthcare facilities. For these facilities, the structures are no longer just buildings, but are conscious designs for low impacts on the environment. The new hospitals are being constructed with the modern green specifications, such as solar panels and LED lighting, which makes them energy efficient. There are also improvements to the internal quality of buildings to include more light and better air quality—facts that have been proven to cut down recovery times and enhance wellness.

To those directly or indirectly related to the health sector, sustainability goes beyond merely dreaming of reduced fuel consumption or even cutting down on paper usage; it is actually about affirmatively committing to changing the way we deal with our patients. For example, there is less medical wastage. It's hard to imagine the scale of waste generated by hospitals: Non-biodegradable or semi biodegradable items such as plastic bags, plastic boxes, plastic covers, plastic bottles, single use items and polythene papers, non-recyclable items such as polystyrene packing etc. Some of the areas which have adopted the goal to reduce wastes in the recent past include many hospitals with unique approaches of achieving those goals. Some have furthered their efforts to employ biodegradable materials, some have maximized the usage of sterilization of instruments used in surgeries, and many are into composting as well as recycling of organic waste.

Hospitals are also considering the products that are bought afresh every day. All the devices that are used in the hospital, from the bandages, blood pressure, and many other devices, are being discussed and evaluated to ensure they are environmentally friendly, and were sourced sustainably. And moreover, the kind of equipment that is used in hospitals is energy saving, in other words, it helps not only to save money on electricity and reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions. Although converting to eco-friendly solutions may mean insurgence of a certain cost, most hospital administrators are learning that the savings in the long run are worth the expense. For instance, efficient technologies in the usage of energy reduce hospital expenses by enabling reimbursement of the money spent on power belonging to hospitals, enabling them to improve on their infrastructure and patient care.

But it is not only the hospitals that are getting some good out of it. Green practices are not mere policies on the wall; they affect the care for patients directly. It is also worth saying that the quality of air in hospitals and the integration of natural light in the construction of hospitals have been determined to help in shortening the time of recovery. Greater openness of the place can go a long way to reducing the level of anxiety that most patients experience. Patients admitted to hospitals that have adopted sustainable practices also often feel better physically and psychologically because they know they are in a facility that values their welfare in all aspects—physical, mental, and environmental.

Nevertheless, the way towards creating a sustainable business model is not without its obstacles. Many healthcare providers will experience the expense of adopting green technologies or constructing environmentally friendly structures to be overwhelming at first. However, more are realizing that the long-term gains, which range from lesser operational expenses to better patients’ satisfaction, are worth the price. Indeed, several hospitals that have switched over to green practices noted that they are now in a position to save on their energy bills, and these savings increase every year.

Moving to sustainability is not just the latest fad out there, but a change in the way healthcare is being delivered. Every time more hospitals and clinics join the action, we can observe a more serious approach to human and Earth health. But let us not forget that there is still a long way to go to achieve positive results; the results are already encouraging.

Therefore, in the coming years, it will be interesting to observe how more innovation and humanity will be used to achieve sustainable goals in the healthcare sector. These are not just about being environmentally sustainable—a green healthcare institution is a wiser, a more sensitive, an attuned, and a more responsive one. In creating a healthier care system, we are not only helping our patients recover; we are also saving our earth, where everything thrives.

At the end of the day, sustainability in healthcare simply means shaping a future in which everyone, everywhere, gets the opportunity to be healthier—people and the earth.