Page 73 - CMA Journal (Nov-Dec 2025)

Green Healthcare: Challenges and
Focus Section
Opportunities in Pakistan

1. Introduction ment practices to
prevent waste.
Green healthcare is the smart way of integrating procedures
that provide sustainable solutions for environmental Additionally,
ecosystems. This sustainable approach is the means to water consump-
minimize and control the carbon footprint of medical tion can be
institutions. At the same time, it aims to enhance patient reduced through
well-being and welfare. Green healthcare stresses that energy low-flow fixtures
and natural resources should be utilized to ensure maximum and sensor-based
utility and minimum waste and ecological damage. faucets. More-
over, wastewater
Furthermore, sourcing equipment, technology, and can be recycled
infrastructure that supports and enables sustainable medical for reuse in
facilities is the key pain point in the implementation of green cooling equip-
healthcare. It requires systems which are beneficial to reduce ment. An on-site
operational expenses, advance public health services, and Wastewater
employ renewable or alternate energy. Hospital waste Treatment Plant
management is also among the top priorities of green (WWTP) is a great Faraz Ahmad Memon, FCMA
healthcare initiatives. The aim is to develop ecologically safe way to recycle Director,
spaces and to safeguard against climate risks. water. Risk Management & Costing
2. Key Green Healthcare Practices d) Paperless Patel Hospital, Karachi
Any healthcare facility following green health practices Systems: Green
delivers top-quality services and ensures that it prevents healthcare is all about giving priority to sustainable
and minimizes its harmful consequences on the healthcare needs and safeguarding natural resources
environment. This is achieved through the planned usage of for future generations. Paperless systems are one
renewable energy, reduction of plastic waste, water method that healthcare facilities can adopt to
conservation, and green waste management and treatment. efficiently contribute to preserving the environment.
Electronically smart solutions for record keeping,
a) Energy Efficiency: A huge amount of energy is patient information, billing, and administration data
consumed by hospitals and healthcare facilities to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the
operate heavy equipment, continuous lighting, and healthcare organization and minimize the use of paper
centralized air conditioning and ventilation systems. that adds to waste material.
Instead, green healthcare employs power-saving
technologies that use smart ways to decrease energy 3. Green Healthcare in Pakistan
consumption, with sensors to manage lighting, and to In Pakistan, healthcare is facing numerous challenges and
monitor temperature control through advanced HVAC drawbacks that prevent it from providing adequate facilities
systems. and healthcare solutions to its nationals. It is reported that
b) Waste Management: Hospitals produce different kinds Pakistan loses about USD 47.8 billion or 5.88% of its GDP in
of waste in large quantities. This includes two broad healthcare costs annually. Moreover, 22,000 premature
categories: hazardous and non-hazardous waste. The deaths are reported due to poor air quality. Pakistan is
first type of waste comprises biomedical waste, which is critically behind in the race among Asian regions that are
dangerous and can cause contamination and spread heavily investing in sustainable health systems and policies.
disease. Waste such as chemical, pharmaceutical, Furthermore, Pakistan is among the few nations to enjoy “on
pathological, sharp instruments, and radioactive track status” on SDG 13 on Climate Change. Despite the
materials are all part of this category. The general waste progress, Pakistan is at risk of major climate changes.
is non-hazardous and includes daily items such as Moreover, it lies in the 5th place in the list of countries most
paper, food, packaging, etc. vulnerable to climate tragedies. Incidents such as heat
A systematic waste management and recycling protocol is waves and smog have had a huge impact on the people of
crucial to ensure patient and general safety. In facilities Karachi and Sindh.
following green healthcare, the waste is treated through 4. Challenges in Green Healthcare
sustainable means to mitigate ecological contamination
and responsibly recycled to reduce landfills and prevent air a) Financial Constraints: Scarcity of financial and funding
and plastic pollution. sources is one of the most challenging aspects of
adopting green healthcare. The transformation from
c) Water Conservation: Healthcare requires tons of water traditional infrastructure to a sustainable one requires
on a daily basis to operate efficiently. However, given large funding and substantial investment. The cost of
the scarcity of water resources, responsible use is alternative energy generation, such as solar units, is also
critical. A good green healthcare approach would be to high. Therefore, the financial barriers restrict and slow
implement technologically intelligent water manage- down the transition.

ICMA’s Chartered Management Accountant, Nov-Dec 2025 71