Environmentally-Friendly Surgery

 At Majellan Medical Centre we take environmental care very seriously

The environment pollution and global warming problem has become one of the most internationally discussed topics in recent years. People are starting to understand that environmental pollution has a negative effect, both on our planet and our health.

Doctors can play an important role in the struggle against environmental pollution and waste. We can not only alert the public to the dangers of pollution for one’s health, but also lessen our own environmental footprint.

At Majellan Medical Centre we take environmental care very seriously. We are an environmentally friendly practice, with solar energy playing a key role. Our Centre is energy self-sufficient with 94 solar panels, three five kilowatt inverters and a solar hot water system providing all of our energy and hot water needs. Fourteen of these solar panels are part of an off-grid solar system that charges back up batteries and is an additional power source in the event of power failure. This off-grid system provides power to our server, vaccine fridge and procedure room for up to eight hours.

We understand the importance of energy preservation, so we have undertaken a few changes to the building that has helped us to significantly cut energy wastage:

• Roller shutters have been installed on the majority of our windows. These assist in keeping the heat out and additionally provide storm, noise and security protection.
• Our entrance door was once a big energy waste point. With an average of 250 patients visiting the surgery daily the door is opened and closed about 600 times a day. During hot months, the cool air inside escaped outside when the door was opened, making a big difference in the temperature of our waiting room. Now the entrance door is furnished with an air curtain that keeps the cool air in and also stops outside heat entering. The door was also made patient-friendly and closes slowly to help visitors avoid injury.
• We have insulation installed and the solar panels provide an extra layer on the roof top.
• A separate air conditioning system is installed in our skin room and is turned off if the room is not used for expended periods.
• As electrical devices in stand-by mode still consume energy, our equipment is connected to the grid through surge protected multi-point towers which are switched off at the end of the day.
• We use motion activated and solar lights to save energy at night time.
• Our windows have all been tinted which provides a 99% UV reduction. It has also helped to increase privacy and make the room temperature cooler.
• A pager system has been implemented for our patients which helps to avoid overcrowding. Instead of waiting in the reception area, patients can enjoy beautiful Scarborough Beach Park across the road or one of many local cafes.
• We are a paperless medical centre; we use Medical Director software instead of paper records. We reuse scrap paper for message taking and recycle by shredding excess paper.

To help reduce environmental pollution the surgery has been using a 100% electric car since 2013. The Nissan Leaf is available for all the staff members to use for nursing home and home visits as well as local medical conferences. This vehicle has a range of 150km and is regularly charged using our off-grid solar system. Our lawn mower is charged electrically through the off-grid system as well.

Besides energy preservation, Majellan Medical Centre reduces water consumption wherever possible. We have a dual-flush system installed in our toilets, low flow taps and we are considering the use of grey water for our toilets in the future.

We encourage our patients and staff to take advantage of the bike and walking tracks that surround the Redcliffe Peninsula and have bike racks on site. Our patients are also encouraged to use local medical and Specialist services which also avoids long trips to the city. To increase awareness and encourage our patients to become environmentally friendly we are members of Doctors for the Environment. A poster is displayed in the waiting area to advise our patients of this and our environment commitments.