Environmental sustainability practices in hospitals of Bihar

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to identify the environmental sustainability indicators in the hospitals of Bihar, India and assess the performance of hospitals on these indicators. We adapted the sustainability index from Smercenik and Anderson (2011) and evaluated the environmental performance of hospitals on six dimensions: Sustainable Management, Managing Hospital Pollution, Environmental Communication, Resource Conservation, Energy Conservation, and Patient Room Sustainability. The sample consisted of 234 medical practitioners and administrative staffs employed in 76 private and government hospitals located in Bihar. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24. Descriptive statistics and bar graphs were used to examine the degree of implementation of environmental sustainability practices. The results revealed a below average level of implementation of sustainability practices in the sampled hospitals. The highest level of implementation was found for ‘resource conservation’ followed by ‘managing hospital pollution’, ‘patient room sustainability’, and ‘energy conservation’. The least implemented practices were ‘sustainable management’ followed by ‘environmental communication’ and ‘water recycling’. This study by investigating the status and nature of implementation of eco-friendly practices in a resource constrained state of India contributes to the scant knowledge base on the state of environmental sustainability from developing cities of the world. It provides important insights on current trends in the healthcare industry and paints a picture of environmental sustainability in hospitals.

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