Emirates Health Services becomes world’s first health system to earn international JCI-GSC Healthcare Sustainability Certification
Emirates Health Services (EHS) announced that it has received the JCI-GSC Healthcare Sustainability Certification covering all 17 EHS hospitals, making it the first health system in the world to earn the accreditation.
The Certification is developed by Joint Commission International (JCI), in collaboration with the Geneva Sustainability Centre, which forms part of the International Hospital Federation (IHF).
The achievement underscores EHS’s commitment to implementing sustainability standards, enhancing operational efficiency and quality of care, and embedding sustainable health practices across its facilities.
His Excellency Dr Yousif Mohamed AlSerkal, Director-General of EHS, said: “We are immensely proud that Emirates Health Services has become the first health system in the world to receive the JCI-GSC Healthcare Sustainability Certification across all 17 of its hospitals. This achievement reflects the utmost importance that EHS and the UAE place on building an advanced health sector that is more sustainable, resilient, and future-ready.”
“By embedding environmental responsibility, health equity, and strong governance into our operations, we play our part in turning national sustainability ambitions into measurable actions, thereby supporting the targets of the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategy,” H.E. Al Serkal added. “This achievement marks a notable milestone on our sustainability journey, reinforcing our long-term commitment to continuously improving our practices and ensuring that every hospital in our network meets the highest international standards in healthcare sustainability.”
The JCI-GSC Healthcare Sustainability Certification is a specialised international framework that helps healthcare organisations develop sustainable, measurable practices. It evaluates a range of areas related to health, equity, wellbeing, leadership, governance, and effective response to emergencies linked to the surrounding environment. By doing so, it supports efforts to integrate sustainability into operations, decisions, and daily practices across healthcare organisations.
Emirates Health Services has implemented a comprehensive sustainability plan across its 17 hospitals, strengthening the alignment between sustainability, quality, safety, and operational efficiency. This, in turn, supports efforts to develop institutional performance based on clear indicators and standards, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement at every level of healthcare delivery.
Earning the certification builds on EHS’s efforts to establish a healthcare system founded on data, performance measurement, and innovation, as well as its ongoing commitment to improving service efficiency and enabling healthcare facilities to adapt to change.
The accreditation also aligns with the national campaign to embed sustainability across all sectors and builds on the momentum created by the UAE’s hosting of COP28, particularly with regards to strengthening the link between health, sustainability, and ability to navigate future challenges. All of these efforts resonate with the objectives of UAE Centennial 2071 Plan to enhance quality of life, ensure sustainable development, and prepare the nation for the future.
