Page 74 - CMA Journal (Nov-Dec 2025)

Focus Section

b) Infrastructure Gaps: Although many medical facilities a) Unequal Fund Distribution: Pakistan has an unequal
plan to adopt green healthcare practices, their own distribution of medical resources as reported in the
infrastructure falls short for this transition. The existing Community Health Index (CHI). Pakistan obtained a
infrastructures display problems such as old building score of 16.59, which shows that top-order districts are
designs that are inadequate to sustain modern green 16.59 times more healthy than low-tier regions.
standards. Moreover, upgrading the structure would Simultaneously, rural areas are in dire need of quality
itself incur hefty financial costs along with more equipment, diagnostic facilities, and urgent patient
environmental damage due to building and care.
construction.
b) Universal Health Coverage: World Health
c) Policy Alignment: The standard monitoring and Organization (WHO) introduced Universal Health
regulation policies implemented in hospitals pose a Coverage (UHC), which works and promotes the
misalignment challenge with green practices. provision of equal healthcare to people despite their
Sustainable healthcare facilities are only possible if they financial standing. UHC is part of the Sustainable
follow the stringent safety protocols of the medical Development Goal 3, which emphasizes health.
institutions and the sector. Therefore, it becomes a Moreover, Pakistan has taken several steps to make an
challenging and time-consuming task to ensure active contribution towards attainment of SD Goals by
alignment of green practices with institutional policies. 2030.
d) Resistance to Change: Traditional organizations and c) Sehat Sahulat Program: Pakistan’s Sehat Sahulat
leadership are generally resistant to change. Therefore, Program (SSP) is one such initiative towards SD Goal 3.
transformation of the mindset is critical before a SSP is a public health insurance program for deserving
physical or operational change. The first step is to Pakistani nationals. The vulnerable communities in
ensure that the leadership team is fully onboard with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province were the first to
sustainability. Green healthcare practices should be receive health insurance under the SSP program in
included in the vision and mission statements of 2015. The government launched SSP in other provinces
organizations and become part of the overall narrative. by 2019. The Government of Pakistan (GoP) is the
Without management’s ownership of the sustainability primary investor of the program, and the Ministry of
initiative, there will be no acceptance from the National Health Services Regulations and Coordination
employees. Additionally, the staff who are already (MNHSRC) is responsible for spearheading its smooth
comfortable with traditional medical practices would implementation and daily operations.
show reluctance to learn and adopt green practices. 6. Conclusion
Employee awareness, training, and upskilling are major
hurdles to achieving sustainable healthcare. Green healthcare is not a buzz word anymore, rather it has
become a worldwide issue to ensure sustainable health and
e) Supply Chain Issues: In countries like Pakistan, where well-being. Alternate energy consumption, reduced carbon
green healthcare is still somewhat a nascent concept, footprint, ecological waste management systems, and water
sourcing sustainable building materials is a challenge. It recycling are among major aspects of global green
also includes the financial aspect, as green construction healthcare. However, there are challenges too, such as
resources will cost more than traditional building limited investment, change resistance, procurement issues,
materials. and policy regulation. For Pakistan, sustainable healthcare is
f) ROI Concerns: Converting to green healthcare is still a novel concept. Programs like SSP are great initiatives
subject to the availability of funds for investing in that contribute towards affordable healthcare, which is a
sustainable civil infrastructure along with supporting good sign. Nonetheless, issues such as uneven resource
technology and employee development. It calls for a distribution are hurdles in the way of achieving sustainable
comprehensive and overall transformation from healthcare to its full potential.
traditional to transformative practices. However, References:
hospital management, stakeholders, and investors are
often concerned about Return on Investment (ROI). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10548490/
Therefore, investor fear and reluctance is a major hurdle https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/pak/pakistan/healthca
in adopting green healthcare. Decision-makers expect a re-spending
clear timeline and action plan that ensures their https://www.dawn.com/news/1948888#:~:text=The%20next%20five%20years
%20will,25%20years%20of%20policy%20drift
investments will bring them favorable returns.
https://www.undp.org/pakistan/publications/environmental-sustainability-pa
5. Healthcare Financial Crisis kistan
Pakistan is under severe financial crisis for a long time. https://mdforlives.com/blog/challenge-of-creating-green-healthcare-facilities/
Therefore, insufficient funds act as a hindrance in numerous About the Author: Faraz Ahmad Memon, a Fellow Member of
sectors, such as health and well-being. Pakistan is reported ICMA, is Director of Risk Management & Costing at Patel Hospital,
to be behind India (USD 57), Ghana (USD 85), and Karachi, and serves on its EC-Finance Committee. He has over 24
Philippines (USD 165) with only USD 38 per capita spending years of experience across healthcare, food and retail, and the
on healthcare in 2022. The inadequacy explains the garment sectors, with expertise in business transformation, risk
below-par state of healthcare and medical facilities in the management, internal controls, financial management, budgeting,
country. It’s also the reason behind the unavailability of and costing. He is pursuing an MBA (Healthcare) from the Institute of
qualified medical practitioners in remote and far-flung areas. Business & Health at Dow University of Health Sciences.

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