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The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care
Highlights So Far...
- Following representations from CAPE, Health Canada has included the
greening of health care in its new sustainable development strategy,
tabled in Parliament early in 2001. Now Dr Trevor Hancock has completed
a report for the Office of Sustainable Development, Health Canada, scoping
out the issues around green health care and proposing a national strategy.
It is hoped that the report will be published later this year (2001).
- The Ontario Hospital Association
has responded very positively and at the OHA Convention in Toronto (November
5-7, 2001) we will see the following:
- a dedicated area of exhibits - the Green Lane - for environmentally
beneficial products and services
- a Green Health Centre, provided by the OHA as an exhibit area for
the Coalition and its non-profit members. This area will feature an
exhibit of case studies of environmentally-responsible health care
from across Canada; Health Canada has committed funds for this display
and additional funding is being sought.
- a 3 1/2 hour educational session on greening health care, with
Elizabeth Witmer - formerly Minister of Health and now Minister of
Environment - as the keynote speaker, Charlotte Brody, coordinator
of Health Care Without Harm in the USA, and other notable speakers
- the establishment by the Coalition and the OHA of the Ontario Green
Health Care Awards, with Awards in four categories - overall leadership,
energy conservation, pollution prevention and community partnership.
The first awards will be presented at the OHA Convention. (Visit the
OHA website, go to the convention
link and scroll down to the 'Green Health Care' section for further
details.)
- We are already seeing the emergence of an Ontario "chapter" that
will turn its energies to the provincial Ministries and other resources.
This Ontario chapter is being pulled together by Rich Whate at the Toronto
Environmental Alliance/Health Care Without Harm.
- The Coalition has met with Ontario's Environment Minister (and former
Health Minister), Eliazabeth Witmer and is preparing a brief for the
Provincial and Federal governments on environmentally responsible health
care.
- Funding from HRDC has enabled CAPE to hire a summer student who is
working to develop a website for the Coalition.
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