Sustainability
Caring for Our Community
As a conscientious employer, we have a duty of care to our people and a responsibility for their welfare at work. However, much more than that, we regard them as part of our extended family and make every effort to ensure that they are fulfilled in their emotional and social needs. As for our patients, they have been, and always will be, our key focus. It is the quality of their journey which reflects our consistent results as a world-class healthcare provider.
Key Initiatives in 2023
Food and Beverage Service Redesign
Recognizing the significance of food and beverages in patient satisfaction, our teams identified areas that could improve our patients’ experience even further. This included major restructuring, such as kitchen renovation, hospitality training, food delivery, 50 new diets and a refined menu design.
Employee Social Club Programs
In order to raise the profile and increase engagement in our employee social clubs (ESC), we launched an awareness campaign, outlining the available activities and opportunities, which led to increased involvement and an even greater sense of community.
ESC Offerings
- Monthly newsletter (all sites)
- Weekly trending letter (all sites)
- Signage and branding
- Weekly group events and activities
More than 1,140 staff completed a recent social club satisfaction survey covering 60 points of engagement, with an overall satisfaction rate exceeding 80%.
Key Initiatives in 2023
As KFSHRC’s charitable arm, King Faisal Specialist Hospital Foundation (Wareef Charity) aims to provide social and healthcare services to patients and help alleviate their condition. In 2023, the Wareef team reported self-revenues of SAR 19.6 Mn. Approximately 2.1 beneficiaries were supported from all projects, 26 projects were completed, and a number of initiatives are supported through its projects platform and endowment funds.
Key Projects
Charitable Housing
Housing to patients coming a long way from home, for ease of compliance to their treatment plan; 500+ beneficiaries.
A’tini Sawtan (Give me a voice)
Eight beneficiaries with neurogenerative diseases provided with communication devices to aid interactions with families and improve quality of life in general.
Sanabel Al Khair Cards
Food purchasing cards for patients and their families to help reduce costs associated with hospital visits.
Provision of Free Potable Water
Over three million water bottles per year consumed, with 90% of the SAR 1.1 Mn cost obtained through donations.
Donation of New Wheelchairs
A total of 220 wheelchairs to replace obsolete ones, helping facilitate patients’ access throughout the Hospital.
Injection-free Insulin
Aimed at alleviating the suffering of families of children with diabetes.
Agreements and Partnerships (non-exhaustive)
Caring for Our Environment
KFSHRC Initiatives
- KFSHRC has embarked on an ambitious journey with its renewable energy projects, focusing on the installation and utilization of alternative sustainable and renewable energy sources. This initiative aims to reduce the Hospital’s dependence on external utility service providers and lower operational costs. Collaboration with key stakeholders like Tarshid, the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center, and Saudi Electricity is pivotal to the success of these initiatives.
- A significant part of the project is the energy retrofitting, which addresses 50 buildings with 15 energy- saving measures. Additionally, the project includes the supply and installation of roof-mounted solar panels on various buildings, including the Training Center, the multi-story parking, and covering walkways and outdoor parking shades.
- The outputs of these renewable energy projects are substantial. They contribute to a significant reduction in carbon emissions and generate considerable annual savings of approximately SAR 21.9 million, which is 24% of the 68.6 GWh energy consumption. Moreover, these initiatives significantly enhance the reliability of the Hospital’s electrical power supply system, further solidifying KFSHRC’s commitment to sustainability and efficient energy use.
- The energy-saving projects at KFSHRC focus on modernizing and enhancing various systems to reduce energy consumption and transition to greener and more sustainable energy sources. This initiative was primarily driven by the high power consumption of the old systems, including lighting, lack of control systems, and poor efficiency. The implementation of the TARSHID project, as part of this initiative, was deemed essential.
- The activities under this project are diverse and strategically planned. They include centralizing chillers to balance energy distribution more effectively and installing LED lights and motion sensors to reduce energy consumption. A significant step in this project is the three-year agreement with the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center, with Phase 1 already underway in the Children’s Cancer Center. Additionally, there is an ongoing enhancement of the Building Management System (BMS), further contributing to energy efficiency.
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The project represents a significant stride towards energy optimization and sustainable energy sourcing. The activities involved in this conversion are comprehensive and technologically advanced. The installation of new water-cooled chillers is a key component, which includes reconnecting buildings such as MSSB, C-Complex, and E-Complex to the Powerhouse. The project also incorporates a chiller management system for both air and water-cooled plants and involves retrofitting pumps. Other activities include the installation of variable flow drivers on AHU/exhaust systems, fresh air pre-cooling unit installation, and air compressor replacement.
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The outcomes of these conversion activities are substantial. They are expected to save around 46.2 GWh, which translates to approximately SAR 14.8 million per year.
- The project aligns with the Kingdom’s Green Initiative, aiming to enhance the Hospital campus’s environment. It focuses on planting more trees and ground cover vegetation in degraded areas, contributing to climate change mitigation and sustainable development.
- Significant progress has been made in increasing the green area within KFSHRC, with a 13% completion over the past two years. Key activities include the installation of 370 m2 of artificial grass in areas around several buildings and parking areas. Moreover, the old MCO area has been transformed into a park, encompassing a total of 1,700 m2 , featuring landscape beds, transplanted trees, and seasonal flowering plants. Additionally, 71 different types of trees have been transplanted at the biotech site and the West Compound.
- Over 31,000 m2 of new green landscaped areas will be created in new parks and plazas within the campus. Additionally, there will be a calculation of the reduction in carbon emissions, further contributing to Saudi Arabia’s green initiatives. This initiative not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the hospital campus, but also plays a vital role in environmental conservation and sustainability.
- The water treatment initiative at KFSHRC involves additional projects to augment the existing sewage treatment plant for irrigation purposes. This initiative is a crucial step towards sustainable water management and conservation within the Hospital’s infrastructure.
- Two significant projects under this initiative are the dewatering project and the evaluation of the new sewage treatment plant and grounds maintenance.
- The expected output of these water treatment projects is significant, with an anticipated capacity of 2,000 m³ per day. This capacity reflects KFSHRC’s commitment to implementing efficient and sustainable water management solutions, contributing to the overall environmental sustainability of the Hospital’s operations.
- Initiated in March 2011, this Performance Improvement project focuses on reducing biohazardous red bagged waste and aims to lessen environmental pressure from the incineration process. The Environmental Services-Waste Management team targets to significantly reduce waste charges by 60%.
- This initiative not only aimed to reduce costs associated with waste management, but also significantly contributed to the environmental sustainability goals of KFSHRC, aligning with broader eco-friendly practices and sustainable healthcare management.
- The result of this strategic focus was a significant decrease in medical waste cost, which dropped from almost SAR 1.4 million in 2021 to below SAR 1 million in 2023.
- The recycling waste initiative at KFSHRC is a vital part of the Hospital’s waste management strategy, focusing on the concept of recycling paper, carton, plastic bottles, and aluminium cans. This is facilitated through the use of reverse vending machines (RVM), which are to be provided across the Hospital premises for use by employees, patients, and visitors. RVMs are highly efficient recycling machines that allow the public to deposit empty single-use beverage containers like bottles and cans. To date, 10 RVMs have been installed, strategically positioned in various locations and each capable of accommodating 450 water bottles and 300 steel cans.
- On average, each machine collects about 4,218 bottles per month, totalling approximately 506,160 bottles every year.
