Green Procurement in Health Sector: Green Hospitals at National and International Level

Introduction: Green supply is defined as the range of processes by which green products and services can be acquired. The adoption of green supplies in hospitals includes the following seven key elements: hospital food, water and energy consumption, waste generation and related building design, energy efficiency and transportation within and around the hospital. Purpose: The main purpose of this paper, through the Greek and international literature, is to highlight the contribution of green supplies in the field of health, as a means of providing optimal health services, taking into account the advantages of green supplies. Material and Method: The study was conducted through a review that included research, review articles and papers related to hospitals in Greece
and the USA, mainly published during the last twenty years. The research data derive from the bibliographic review of articles in Greek and English language related to the topic in the electronic databases “Med net”, “Google Scholar”, “Pubmed”, “Scopus” with index words: "Green supplies", "Green Products", "Environment", "Green Hospitals". Results: Greek Hospitals could apply for green supplies by adopting a series of practices from other hospitals that have previously implemented them. Via the adoption of green practices, many foreign hospitals are able to reduce energy bills, waste and achieve a healthier indoor environment for patients and staff. Conclusions: Because of the adoption of green supplies by Greek Hospitals, good practices can be found both domestically and internationally. The multiple benefits of their implementation and adoption constitute a key incentive for Greek Hospitals to shift to a green and sustainable direction. However, this shift requires investment and capital that will pay off in the long run from the above mentioned benefits. This search constitutes a serious matter, due to the economic crisis of recent years and the financial situation of public hospitals and on the whole country’s abilities.