Manila — Just in time with the World Water Day, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) warns that improper practices in a hospital’s daily operation may worsen water problem.
“Health care facilities consume a large volume of water in its daily operation. While this may contribute to the burgeoning water supply problem worldwide, there are numerous ways on how health care facilities may help alleviate the problem,” said Merci Ferrer, Director of HCWH-SEA.
A 2009 research conducted by the Asian Development Bank reported that clean water supply in the Philippines are fast deteriorating with rapid urbanization and only 33 per cent of river systems are still suitable as clean and safe supply of water and up to 58 per cent of the country’s groundwater are now contaminated. The annual freshwater availability per capita is only 1,907 m3 compared to Asian and world averages of 3,669 m3/person and 7,045 m3/per person, respectively.
The Philippine Heart Center in its report to HCWH-SEA identified actions it has taken to reduce hospital water consumption and increase supply of potable water. PHC is among the first hospitals in Southeast Asia to join the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network, a virtual community for hospitals and health systems seeking to implement and evolve the ten Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Agenda (GGHHA). The ten goals include (1) prioritizing environmental health, (2) substitution of harmful chemicals with safer alternatives, (3) reduction, treatment and safe disposal of healthcare waste, (4) implementation of energy efficient and clean renewable energy generation, (5) reduction of hospital water consumption and providing potable water, (6) improving transportation strategies for patient and staff, (7) purchase and serving of sustainably grown, healthy food, (8) safe management and disposal of pharmaceuticals, (9) supporting green and healthy hospital design and construction, and (10) buying safer and more sustainable products and materials.
Among the first steps taken by PHC for its water conservation strategies is installing efficient faucets and toilets in its facility. Routine check on plumbing and pipes to prevent leaks and elimination of seal and cooling water on medical air compression and vacuum were also implemented.
Clean water
Toxic chemicals such as methylacrylate, xylene, organic solvents, formaldehyde and cleaning and sterilizing compounds such as ethylene oxide, sodium hypochlorite, glutaraldehyde and phenols are commonly used in health care facilities. “If we do not pay attention to the toxicity of these chemicals and where and how we dispose them, these chemicals will eventually find their way into the water stream,” said Ferrer.
Among the initiatives of PHC is switching from film-based radiological imaging equipment which uses large quantities of water to digital imaging which uses no water and no polluting radiological chemicals. The hospital is currently using digital x-ray.
“Indiscriminate dumping of chemicals from hospitals where they will go directly to our water system, the health care sector, without them knowing it, is causing not only health problems but severe environmental problems as well,” she added. “And worst, they are adding to the water problem faced worldwide.”
No to bottled water
In 2006, Pacific Institute estimates that producing the bottle for bottled water for American consumption alone required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation. They added that bottling the water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide and it took 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water.
PHC has eliminated bottled water throughout the hospital and partially filtered water tank were installed in some nurse station with regular bacteriological analysis test to check the water quality. The facility also has a memorandum of agreement with Manila Water for 24-hour assurance of water supply. In return, they took initiatives in cleaning with the central drainage system.
Harvesting of rainwater and recycling water through the sewage treatment plant or the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) is also being done by PHC for gardening and cooling tower.
When it comes to giving back to the community, PHC develops joint projects with the community to improve and protect water supply support initiatives for public system to improve water quality, water delivery and wastewater system.
“The health sector can contribute a lot in helping provide cleaner and safer water,” said Ferrer. “And the PHC has taken a leap in this respect.
“We encourage hospitals around the country to follow the example of PHC and to share with us at HCHW, what other initiatives they have taken towards greening their hospital.”
World statistics show that 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water while an estimated 2.5 billion people have no access to proper sanitation and more than 5 million people die each year from water-related diseases, most victims are children under the age of five. This is equivalent to one child dying every 15 seconds. In Asia, one in five Asians does not have access to safe water supply and one in two does not have access to improved sanitation. One in three Asians still has to walk at least 200 meters to fetch drinking water.
Note: GGHH Agenda was launched in 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hospitals and health systems from Argentina, India, Nepal and England including the Sustainability Unit of England’s National Health Service which works with more than 200 hospitals have already signed as Founding Members. A sister network in the US, the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, has more than 300 hospital members. On April 11, the GGHH Network in Asia will be launched in Taipei. HCWH, together with the Environment Task Force of the International Health Promoting Hospitals Network and the Bureau of Health Promotion for the Department of Health, Taiwan are the organizers of the Asia launch.
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