The Readiness Level of the Medical Services Centers in the Establishment and Implementation of Green Hospital Standards in Rasht

Hospitals are among the service centers that cause the greatest environmental pollution. Green Hospital refers to a hospital that views the environment as part of its service quality processes and seeks to avoid harming itself and others by employing effective approaches in each of its dimensions including management, water, energy, buildings, waste, medicine, and shopping.

This study aims to determine the extent of medical services centers readiness for the establishment and implementation of Green Hospital standards in Rasht.

This is an applied research, and a descriptive cross-sectional method is used. Also, survey method is implemented. The statistical population of this study included all public and private hospitals in Rasht. Among them, 8 hospitals were selected as the sample using convenient sampling method. The data collection tool was the hospital checklists, obtained through observation and interviews. The checklist information consists of two parts, demographic information and information about seven variables in the green hospital, in which respondents should state their hospital readiness in each part of the green hospital checklist. SPSS statistical software was used to analyze the data. Also, descriptive statistics (Frequency distribution and percentage and mean) and analytical statistics (t-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, etc.) were used.

The results indicated that the 8 under studied hospitals were not in good condition regarding the relevant standards of the green hospital (the rate of meeting standards was 36.8%). Also, these hospitals are not prepared to implement green hospital standards. Only given the drug use (score 65.6), they meet green hospital standards; however, they are not in the right position for the establishment of a green hospital in terms of energy management; waste management; water conservation (score 34); use of chemicals (score 43); green architecture (score 35)and purchasing Hospital Requirements (23.2 points).

Green hospital standards are of critical importance in sustainable management and cost saving for hospitals. Apart from the general discussion of green buildings, meeting these principles in hospitals, in addition to its sustainability aspects, has a significant role in improving the patient's therapeutic quality. Implementation ofsuchstandards in the province requires a comprehensive planning of the 7 under-studied variables and clarification of relevant guidelines and rules, training and documentation of actions.