Sustainable University Hospitals

The National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore has attained a distinct international accreditation by being recognized as the first healthcare institution globally to receive the Healthcare Sustainability Certification from the Joint Commission International.

The Healthcare Sustainability Certification evaluates a hospital's progress in areas such as environmental stewardship, equitable health outcomes, and organizational governance. The National University Hospital's efforts are comprehensive in this area. For example, it highlighted a specific nursing-led program designed to improve recycling rates by having staff separate materials directly at the point of care. Broader efforts include significant reductions in single-use plastics, a transition to less polluting anesthetic agents, and energy conservation measures within its operating theatres. Additional staff-driven projects recognized internally range from implementing computer power-down protocols to revising surgical pack contents and digitizing paperwork.

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