EMS Topic/ Disaster, Stress, History

EMS Topic/ Disaster, Stress, History

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A great deal of human actions affects his or her surroundings. In the same way, the environment influences human activities in a number of ways. This symbiotic relationship between humans and their environment calls for the need to protect and conserve the latter. This does not only entail protecting the environment from external influences but also from the effects of human action. Environmental management systems in the healthcare sector involve the proper use of resources while reducing the negative impact that may be caused on the environment. It also entails the provision of services to patients without negative consequences on the environment. The achievement of a good environmental management system plan lies not only with the management of the hospital in question but also with other stakeholders including the staff members, the community, and even the patients.
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There are a number of strategies that a healthcare institution can put in place in order to realize the objectives of it environmental management system. The ultimate goal of such strategies is usually to minimize pollution of the environment due to the activities of the institution and to comply with the environmental regulations. Other objectives include reducing the amount of waste produced, cutting down on the resources consumed and generally adhering to the goal of improving the environment.

Disasters are of two types; natural disasters and disasters caused due to human actions. Natural disasters are those which humans have little control over. However, disasters due to human causes are the consequences of human negligence or irresponsibility. Most of the wastes from healthcare institutions are usually lethal. Exposure to such wastes can result in widespread disease to the neighboring communities and beyond. Healthcare institutions can minimize such risks by cutting down on the amount of wastes produced. Another measure that will prevent the occurrence of such a disaster is proper disposal of the wastes. Most importantly, treatment of such waste before disposal is the safest solution. Apart from making the wastes harmless, treatment offers a safer route for disposal. This prevents both contamination of the environment and occurrence of a disease (Kausek, 2006).

Healthcare institutions are expected to be prepared for any eventualities in the event of a disaster. As it is, disasters may come with a number of consequences such as failure of power and water supply and lack of necessary requirements and equipments. An environmental management system plan enables the healthcare institution run its operations without much interference should a disaster occur (Kausek, 2006). For instance, the plan may spell out the means and measures to be employed in the conservation of energy. To realize such an objective, the institution may employ green sources of energy such as the use of solar panels as sources of light.

The occurrence of a calamity may also mean that the healthcare institution cannot access its needs. In this case, recycling comes in handy, especially for products, which are non-perishable such as paper. The institution may embark on a plan to recycle the waste products including papers and plastics. This may involve setting up a small recycling plant nearby to facilitate the process. Setting the plant near the institution enables it cut down on expenses due to transport, storage et cetera. An emerging trend is the recycling of batteries which goes a long way in cutting down on the amount of money spent in buying new ones while at the same time enhancing the conservation of energy (Coglianese, 2001).

An environmental management system for a healthcare institution may also come in the form of sustainable construction of facilities. Hospitals, just like any other buildings are prone to fires and other forms of disaster. With this knowledge in mind, it is important that when building the healthcare premises, necessary facilities are installed. Such facilities provide an easy escape route should fire break out. Elevators need to be backed up with staircases to provide an alternative escape route. The hospital should also be equipped with essential equipments such as firefighting equipment and an alarm system to sound out a warning in the event of a disaster. The purpose of all these is to minimize the effects that a disaster may have on the institution, the occupants and to the environment (Pardy & Andrews, 2010).

An effective way of ensuring a successful environmental management program is through the maintenance of accurate records and data on the institution’s engagements. Such data are called environmental data. They provide a preview of the institutions usage of resources such as water, energy, transport costs, generation of wastes among other important information. Availability of data on these areas allows the management of the institution to evaluate the performance of individuals and strategies and provides for an effective way of making amends in case of failure.
An environmental management system cannot see the light of day without the contribution of staff members, patients, the community, and even the management of the institution. To guarantee an effective program, the roles and duties that each stakeholder and each individual needs to play should be clearly spelt out. These roles should be integrated to produce the overall mechanism that drives the program (Jackson, 1997). After all, in such an institution working hand in hand is the only viable solution of achieving objectives set.