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IFHE NEWS


Healthcare engineers ‘must not shrink’ from climate change challenge


At last October’s 25th international Congress in Brisbane, the IFHE’s Council considered what response the Federation – as an influential organisation focused on healthcare estates and healthcare engineering – should offer to ongoing announcements on environmental strategy and climate change from a variety of influential bodies worldwide. The Council also discussed the merits of the Federation adopting a policy recommending that the world’s healthcare system immediately begin reducing its carbon footprint. IFHE is now keen to hear from its members worldwide on the stance they feel it should be taking. Walt Vernon, an IFHE ‘Exco’ member, and the CEO of US-headquartered MEP engineering design and technology/IT consulting specialist, Mazzetti, has been among those, working with IFHE President, Darryl Pitcher, considering how IFHE should proceed in terms of an ‘official’ standpoint. The IFHE adopted its first environmental policy during its 2013 international Congress in Kuala Lumpur, and subsequently strengthened that policy in 2015. Walt Vernon said: “The most recent IFHE Congress in Brisbane last October convened the day before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented its Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5˚C, with its alarming conclusions and warnings for the health of our planet and our species (see www.ipcc.ch/sr15).


Contrasting announcements “Ironically, at about the same time there were two other announcements out of Australia reflecting the dual challenges of our collective situation. First, the country’s President responded to the IPCC by vowing to continue developing coal-mining facilities, notwithstanding the IPCC warnings (The


Independent, 9 October 2018,‘Australia refuses to ditch coal despite UN warning it must be abandoned to avert climate catastrophe’ – www.tinyurl.com/y43bcay8). “Simultaneously, a consortium of Australian health professionals and scientists took the opposite tack, declaring: ‘The Australian Government must commit immediately to embrace strategies of energy generation that do not put more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – with healthier communities reaping the benefits now and in the future. Without concerted action by all, the IPCC recommendation to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 will certainly not be achieved.’ (The Lancet, online, 24 October 2018 – www.tinyurl.com/y9vt4a44).


A global dilemma


“The dilemma facing all of us,” Walt Vernon continued, “is the dilemma facing Australia; effectively responding to the global health emergency means wrenching economic and social change, and thus is difficult to want to think about. However, we are health professionals, and as the engineering community of the global health community, are the very people designing, building, equipping, and operating the world’s healthcare buildings. Every time we build another fossil-fuelled healthcare facility, we lock more relentlessly in the carbon cloud that threatens to choke us. If we do not stand up and do something, who will? Thus at the IFHE meeting in Brisbane we considered what response we should provide. As engineers, we are cautious people, not given to hyperbole and emotional response, nor to dramatic change. We understand all too well the challenges inherent in achieving what the IPCC and the WHO tell us we must,


Vale – Johnny Sinaga, Indonesia News has reached the IFHE that Johnny


Sinaga (pictured), of Indonesian member organisation, HATEPKI, has passed away. The Federation’s President, Darryl Pitcher, writes: “On behalf of the IFHE Executive Committee and Council, I am sorry to have been advised recently of the sudden and unexpected passing of IFHE Council Member, Johnny Sinaga, from Indonesia. Johnny had attended a number of IFHE Council meetings and Congresses, and was well known to a number of IFHE delegates.


“Sadly Johnny passed away in late


Walt Vernon.


and so we are considering the right response.


Carbon neutrality by 2050 “According to the IPCC, we must achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with substantial reductions by 2030. Given the pace of construction, and the volume of existing healthcare infrastructure, these realities are daunting. The IFHE is now considering putting together, into one overarching position statement, a number of policy proposals recommending that the world’s healthcare system immediately begin reducing its carbon footprint. These will include some suggested timelines for healthcare facilities to be carbon-neutral.


Rising to the challenge “Some of the potential timelines for significant change to be effected are daunting – but we must not shrink from the task. We are interested to hear what you – our members and stakeholders – have to say as we consider our policy.


“Engineers are problem-solvers above all; as the problem-solvers of the healthcare world, will we rise to this challenge, or hope that somebody else will take care of it? Visit our Linked In page (http://tinyurl.com/ y3c38pka) and give us your feedback.”


January following a heart attack. He will be sadly missed within the Indonesian organisation, HATEPKI, as he was an active member of its governing body. Our thoughts and condolences are with all of Johnny’s


acquaintances, and with all of his HATEPKI colleagues, for whom he shared a great enthusiasm.


“I was personally closely associated with Johnny, having visited Jakarta and Surabaya in 2013, as transformation of the Indonesian association was taking place. Previously


HATIMI was the IFHE member organisation, and with Johnny’s persistent input. and the support of a number of his colleagues, a new organisation was formed that provided representation from architects, engineers, and biomedical specialists. Johnny was highly regarded as an architect, and


was respected in both Indonesia’s Ministry of Health and its Ministry of Higher Education, where his expertise in healthcare engineering and design was highly valued. Johnny saw the benefits of IFHE membership and collaboration, and will be much missed.”


May 2019 Health Estate Journal 19


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