DOH-Ilocos concludes GVA for hospitals
THE Department of Health (DOH)-Ilocos Region, led by the Health Facility Development Bureau (HFDB) and the Health Facility Development Unit (HFDU) recently concluded the validation and assessment of 14 public and private health facilities in Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte for the recognition of “green, safe and climate-resilient hospitals” based on the “Green Viability Assessment” (GVA) Tool.
According to HFDU Head Dr. Cheryl D. Buhong, the recognition of government hospitals as green, safe and climate-resilient hospitals is one of the indicators of the second strategic thrust of DOH which is to protect Filipinos from health risks.
“There are only 14 health facilities who passed the GVA tool out of the 24 health facilities who joined and submitted their self-accomplished validation form. Yung mga nakakuha ng 76% or above na rating during the validation will be recognized as green, safe and climate-resilient facilities during the Regional Awarding Ceremonies on June 16, 2023,” Dr. Buhong said.
“Health facilities that earned 76-85% score will be given three green stars or an assessment equivalent rating of above average, those which scored 86-95% will be given four green stars or good practice and those with 96-100% scores will be given five green stars for best practice,” she explained.
Healthcare facilities, both public and private, were assessed in terms of eight parameters, including (1) governance, (2) energy efficiency, (3) water efficiency, sanitation and hygiene, (4) healthcare waste management, (5) material sustainability (6) environmentally resilient health facility, (7) site sustainability and (8) indoor environmental quality.
DOH Department Memorandum No. 2022-0318, issued on July 29, 2022, mandates the submission of Accomplished Green Viability Assessment and Health Care Waste Management Self-Assessment Tools by healthcare facilities to assist in the compliance to performance standards by fulfilling the required performance levels and identify areas that need improvement.
Assistant Regional Director Rodolfo Antonio M. Albornoz said that the DOH is continuously pursuing and raising standards towards ensuring that healthcare facilities are green, safe and climate-resilient.
“We need to sustain this system towards health facility development and (encourage) more public and private hospitals to voluntarily participate in the green rating systems, including initiatives on the development of green and safe facility standards, updating of their health facility development plan towards Universal Health Care, and facility audits on energy efficiency and conservation, waste management, and water, sanitation and hygiene for Health Facility Improvement Tool WASH FIT,” Albornoz said.
“Hospitals are critical infrastructure dahil dito nakalagay ang mga maysakit – bata at matanda, that is why we must not only make it green and sustainable, but also disaster-resilient, for the safety of all,” Albornoz emphasized.
In 2022, all DOH Hospitals in Region I were recognized as green, safe and climate-resilient hospitals – these health institutions were Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, awarded with five green stars; Ilocos Training Regional Medical Center with four green stars; and Region I Medical Center with three green stars.
