2 3 4 Shortage of Healthcare Professionals Shifting Consumer Expectations Increasing Pressure to Adopt Sustainable Healthcare Practices Globally, healthcare institutions are still feeling the effects of healthcare labour shortage, a situation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenge of hiring and retaining nursing talents is compounded by the growing needs of ageing populations and expanding healthcare infrastructures. A lean nursing workforce potentially impacts patient experience, error rates and malpractice occurrences. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of medical digital technologies have contributed to changes in consumer expectations. There is now greater demand for personalised and accessible care, with consumers taking a more proactive approach to managing their health. The healthcare sector would rank as the world’s fifth largest carbon emitter if it were a country. There is a growing awareness and sense of urgency to reduce the environmental footprint of healthcare systems. The industry is mandated to enhance healthcare waste management practices, especially after the challenges faced during the pandemic. IHH has intensified its recruitment initiatives by sourcing talent globally and introducing employee referral schemes to enhance staffing capabilities. Our goal is to restore staffing levels to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, we have implemented strategies to attract and retain nurses and other healthcare professionals within our workforce. For example, IHH Singapore piloted the Johor Bahru-Singapore shuttle bus service to ferry our staff between Johor Bahru and IHH Singapore hospitals in 2023. With travel time to work significantly reduced, our nurses and staff can spend more quality time with their family and have the much-needed rest during the bus journey. IHH Singapore also stepped up its nursing sponsorship programmes, by sponsoring students for both diploma and degree programmes, to build a healthy nursing talent pipeline. We also offer upskilling opportunities for our employees. MyHealth360, accessible to IHH patients in Malaysia and Singapore, empowers users to proactively manage their health and medical records. As part of our commitment to enhance care and accessibility, virtual consultations are facilitated through our range of digital healthcare applications. Moreover, AI-driven bill estimates assist patients in cost management. Embracing cutting-edge technology, we strive to deliver superior diagnoses and outcomes. Additionally, in the area of cancer care treatment, we were the first among private hospitals in Southeast Asia to offer proton beam therapy as well as the first in Türkiye to introduce Ethos radiotherapy for advanced cancer treatment. We set clear and measurable sustainability goals in 2022, including a set of short and long term environmental goals geared towards protecting our planet. Progress against these goals are monitored and tracked closely on a quarterly basis. We made good progress in 2023 focusing on introducing anaesthetic gas emissions reduction targets, increasing energy efficiency across our operations, and increasing renewable energy generation. Concurrently, we are working towards sustainable waste and water management with adherence to stringent waste management guidelines and continual efforts to improve water efficiency. Annual Report 2023 47
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