Sustainability impact assessment of hospital master plans

Abstract

The Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) has been developed as a tool for the evaluation of proposed or existing development projects to improve their environmental quality, economic feasibility, and social commitment. Several approaches and tools have been used for SIA to facilitate the study and analysis of sustainability levels. Increasing attention has been directed to sustainability in hospital master plans yet little attention is paid to SIA as a tool for the management and control of their sustainability levels. King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) in Bahrain is a leading health institution in the country and the region. There are no publicly available documents of its master planning and there is no reference for sustainability planning and management in any of the available resources. This research uses the Sustainable Project Appraisal Routine “SPeAR” as an SIA tool for the assessment of social and environmental components of the master plan of KHUH. The research revealed that there was a need for the preparation of a sustainable master plan for KHUH with suitable sustainability indicators and measures with continuous monitoring. The research represented the first attempt to study the master plan of KHUH and its sustainability levels. It will provide a guideline for other hospitals in Bahrain and the region.