P-54 Healthcare resilience in Trinidad and Tobago: A short report on the Healthy Hospital Initiative at the Sangre Grande Hospital

Methods: The initiative was implemented at the Sangre Grande Hospital in the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA), one of five Regional Health Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago. A review of personal records maintained by members of the Healthy Hospital Initiative was undertaken.These records included descriptions of the activities, accomplishments and obstacles that the team experienced.

Results: The Healthy Hospital Initiative was launched in November 2019 with the aim of creating an environmentally sustainable health system and improving the physical and mental health of staff and patients. A senior doctor led the initiative and team members included a range of staff including both clinical and non-clinical professionals who were all volunteers. This allowed for a multi-directional inclusive approach and created a sense of ownership amongst the staff. In 2022 several activities were implemented: green spaces, recycling bins, a kitchen garden and staff exercise sessions. In addition, team members participated in training on Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) Smart hospitals and collaborated with a local non-governmental organisation as well as the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus engineering department to develop further projects.

Conclusion: The Healthy Hospital Initiative has created a more health conscious and climate-friendly culture within the hospital. Next steps include promoting similar projects in community health facilities, developing a hydroponics system, assessing the disaster resilience and carbon footprint of the hospital.