Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital unveils first-of-its-kind healthcare CSR report in the Middle East

Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH), one of the leading names in the regional healthcare sector, today announced that it has unveiled the first-of-its-kind healthcare Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report in the region, aimed at reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and responsibility to the social environment it operates in.
 
The DSFH report is also the first non-financial report to be developed by a hospital in the region. The CSR report not only looks at steps to raise standards of patient treatment and care but also reinforces DSFH’s responsibility towards the local community in order to improve the quality of life and productivity.
 
As per the report, DSFH has implemented a series of initiatives such as cutting down on energy and water consumption, switching to eco-friendly technology and programs aimed at cutting down on its carbon footprint. The report, developed with international standards, was applauded and approved by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
 
In his comments on the extraordinary report, Dr. Mazen Fakeeh, General Director at DSFH, said: “Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital has always believed in practices built around the principles of honesty, responsibility and ethics. Over the last few years, we have established our mandate as a socially responsible hospital by cutting down on energy and water use, switched to digital x-rays, started recycling campaign, and tracking our carbon emissions. Our major objective for the next years is to raise the patient satisfaction rate by at least five per cent annually. These were the first steps towards a cleaner, greener future for Saudi Arabia.”
 
He added: “As part of the steps in this direction, we have fixed nearly 540 water saving installations following recommendations by the Jeddah Municipality; which helped reduce our water consumption in 2008 by more than 50 per cent compared to the previous year. We also put in place a number of energy saving measures which have reduced our energy consumption by 5 per cent compared to the previous years. Our efforts are primarily aimed at embedding sustainability into every aspect of our strategy and decision-making -- on patient care, workplace relationships, community wellbeing and environment.”
 
The company’s moves, highlighted in the CSR Report, centered on a philosophy that sustainable businesses can cut costs, drive innovation, reduce risk and motivate employees. Apart from this, DSFH also ensured safe and healthy working conditions for our staff by adopting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards for prevention of work-related illness and injuries.
 
The Arab Health Congress 2010 was attended by a large number of healthcare professionals and representatives from around the region.