Complex funding issues challenge the greening of healthcare facilities, according to an article on the Chronicle Herald website.
The current system in Canada says savings generated in adjustments to operations cannot be used to make further capital investments.
The reason there is little leadership toward greening health facilities is that the role of maintenance engineers, custodians and buildings specialists has been devalued dramatically in the past few decades, the article said.
As a result, some hospitals are falling apart, roofs leak on expensive equipment and substandard cleaning has created serious hospital infections among patients and staff.