Climate change presents unprecedented challenges to humanity, spreading the wave of sustainability across various fields and inevitably affecting healthcare institutions. Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital was founded 17 years ago amid rising environmental awareness, and in 2022, it established a sustainability development office. It formulated four major strategies and two foundational principles enabling the hospital to resiliently respond to various changes, safeguarding public health.

Walking gently uphill, one sees the two buildings of the Taipei Medical University- Shuang Ho Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, surrounded by large green plants which were planted at its inception. Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital is a significant medical institution in the Zhonghe-Xinhe District of New Taipei City. The site was originally a barren hill, but with the existing environmental awareness in Taiwan at the time, the hospital was constructed in harmony with nature, emphasizing soil and water conservation.

Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital collaborates with external manufacturers to jointly develop regenerated eco-friendly cleaning bags, needle collection boxes, pens, and other products.

“According to the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, should global warming and rising sea levels cause flooding of major hospitals in Taipei, Shuang Ho, due to its higher elevation, will be the only hospital capable of admitting patients. We are the last line of defense, and thus, we must prepare in advance for everything,” explained the team comprising Director Li Si-Zhi, Deputy Director Yang Ting-An, and Lü Zi-Xuan, regarding the risk assessments undertaken by the Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital.

“Climate change affects not only the health of the public but also hospital operations.” Consequently, upon establishing the “Sustainability Development Office” in 2022, Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital set down two foundational principles of smart healthcare and climate resilience, along with four strategic goals: energy transformation, healthcare transformation, lifestyle transformation, and the fostering of a sustainable culture. These six combinations aim to ensure that Shuang Ho can be sustainably managed.

In terms of energy transformation, Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital initially targeted water and electricity usage. “Hospital consumption of water and electricity is significant, and from the outset, the design focused on water resource recycling.” Besides rainwater, wastewater from dialysis procedures was also considered for reuse. Only about one-third of the water used in dialysis is purified, and the remaining water, though unpolluted, is not reusable. Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital collects and treats this water for flushing toilets, watering plants, or cooling air conditioning systems, saving 33.12 million liters of water annually. On energy saving, in addition to gradually replacing light fixtures with LEDs and installing energy feedback devices in elevators, the most notable initiative is the installation of solar panels.

Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital installed 363 pin of solar panels on sunlit roofs.

Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital installed 363 pin of solar panels on sunlit roofs. Provided by Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital

Li Si-Zhi candidly admitted that before installation, there was skepticism due to the high cost and the less sunny northern region compared to the central and southern parts. However, the administration believed this to be a trend—a feasible path. Ultimately, 363 pins of solar panels were installed through a cooperative business model, used partly by the hospital and also sold to Taiwan Power Company. He further explained, “Former president Yih-Giun, Cherng, believed it wise to invest early. In the future, green electricity might become more expensive, and within five or ten years, we might need to consider buying the equipment back for self-use.”

Beyond just recycling dialysis wastewater, the transition in healthcare also includes the Respiratory Recovery Center, known for generating hydrofluorocarbon. Besides establishing an in-home respiratory recovery system, the team developed reusable consumables for respiratory recovery devices, reducing monthly medical waste by 1,200 kg and carbon emissions by 13,444 kgCO₂e monthly.

Shuang Ho aims to incorporate sustainability into its institutional culture, gradually inducing change among employees. For instance, in the previous year, during the Monday morning management meetings at 7:30 a.m., where over a hundred first-level managers had a cup of coffee on their desks, an initiative was started requiring managers to bring their own cups, offering reusable cups during a persuasion period. Employees dining at the cafeteria will need to purchase paper lunch boxes or bring their own to save 5 New Taiwan Dollars, encouraging new habits.

In 2024, Shuang Ho introduced the iTrash smart bottle and can collection machine, becoming the first medical institution in Taiwan to do so.

In 2024, Shuang Ho introduced the iTrash smart bottle and can collection machine, becoming the first medical institution in Taiwan to do so. Provided by Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital

In 2024, Shuang Ho introduced the iTrash smart bottle and can collection machine, becoming the first medical institution in Taiwan to do so, giving reward incentives to the public for recycling PET bottles and metal cans.

The iTrash smart bottle and can collection machine offers reward incentives for recycling PET bottles and metal cans. Provided by Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital

“We aspire to circulate resources within the hospital, ensuring operational continuity despite climate, war, or natural disasters,” explained Lü Zi-Xuan while demonstrating products made from recycled waste. In 2023, Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital began collecting clean, uncontaminated PE medicine bottles to regenerate into eco-friendly cleaning bags, made of 100% recycled materials and certified with an environmental label. By 2024, the hospital promoted the recycling of 25 categories of medical plastics, such as empty syringes and tubing, collaborating further with manufacturers to develop products like traffic cones, pens, and needle collection boxes. Initially, the recovery rate of medical plastic waste was about 8-10%, but now it’s improved to 16%. In monthly collections, approximately 5 tons of artificial kidneys and around 3 tons of syringes and other medical plastics are recycled.

“During the pilot, we continuously communicated and discussed with nurses, administrative, and cleaning staff to streamline the classification process, enhancing outcomes without affecting their daily work. Our needle collection box lids are specially designed for safe and smooth needle detachment after insertion, making the collection of plastic syringes more convenient. These innovations stem from repeated prototyping and seeking feedback from nurses,” explained Lü. Not only do Shuang Ho and manufacturers repurchase and use these items, but manufacturers are also gradually promoting these ideas and products to other medical institutions. This “closed internal circulation” not only realizes effective waste utilization but also reduces hospital handling costs.

After achieving internal circulation, Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital indeed aspires to become an advocate, encouraging more industry insiders to join the sustainability effort. However, in the medical industry, many medical supplies and materials cannot be discarded if they do not meet sustainable concepts. Therefore, Shuang Ho co-hosted a forum with the Sustainable Foundation, inviting not only medical practitioners but also supply chain manufacturers. Last year, more than 10 enterprises expressed their willingness to collaborate.

Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital was originally a small hill. Building construction aligned with nature and agreed on soil and water conservation.

The site of Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital was originally a small hill, built in harmony with nature and agreed on soil and water conservation. Photo by Jean Hsieh

In 2022, Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital established a sustainability development office, achieving a 1.83% reduction in carbon emissions in 2023 and a 4.45% reduction in 2024. Yang Ting-An emphasized that the promotion of sustainable healthcare goes beyond merely saving energy and reducing carbon; it encompasses the cultivation of human resources, medical governance, and the application of technology. Former president Yih-Giun, Cherng was Taiwan’s first hospital president to obtain the sustainable manager certification and also encouraged staff to earn this certification, cultivating 31 sustainable managers.

Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital participated in the 27th National Biotechnology and Medical Care Quality Award, winning the inaugural bronze award in the Sustainable Development Group. The evaluators noted that the Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital formulated short, medium, and long-term sustainability goals closely aligned with the hospital’s operational philosophy, demonstrating clear planning and long-term commitment. They recommended leveraging the opportunity presented by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Medical Institution ESG Plan to actively apply and participate, with hopes to expand their sustainable influence further, promoting the joint participation of hospitals, communities, and medical associations.

For Ministry of Health and Welfare Shuang Ho Hospital, sustainability in hospitals is not only about the original environmental protection intent but has now extended to include long-term patient care and medical service development. Through continual optimization of resource utilization and enhancement of crisis response capabilities, the hospital can remain resilient amid future challenges, sustainably developing to provide higher quality health assurance.

Brief Profile
Award: 27th National Biotechnology and Medical Care Quality Award Bronze Award
Entity: Taipei Medical University – Shuang Ho Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare (commissioned to be built and managed by Taipei Medical University)
Title: Green Innovation, Sustainability Together
Application Category: Hospital, Sustainable Hospital Development Group