In Managua, Nicaragua, the Dr. “Alejandro Dávila Bolaños” Military Hospital not only treats illness—it also raises awareness about caring for the environment. Patients, nursing and medical staff, administrative personnel, nursing students, and families all take part, showing that protecting nature is also protecting health.
Recognized nationwide for its leadership in environmental care, the hospital has made sustainability part of its mission. To achieve this, it created an environmental committee that brings together health professionals, administrative staff, patients, and students who organize activities such as environmental education, reforestation in schools, eco-brigades, and clean-up days in lagoons like Xiloa and Tiscapa.
“The committee has been key to driving environmental management in our hospital. We foster skills that help generate a positive impact and reduce our environmental footprint,” says Colonel Dr. Rolando Antonio Jirón Toruño, Deputy Director of Education at the hospital.
The results are clear: more than 200 plants donated and planted, five clean-ups that removed over 35 cubic meters of plastic waste from local water bodies, and more than 100 staff members trained on green buildings and reforestation. Dozens of volunteers have joined, and many patients and nurses have become environmental leaders.
“We have a strong commitment to our community—we promote safe environments, create impact, and spread awareness. Our staff are partners, and our patients are advocates,” says First Lieutenant Msc. Jorleni del Socorro Meléndez, Head of Nursing Supervision.
The hospital has understood that caring for the Earth is also caring for health. In fact, internal studies show that green spaces reduce stress and fatigue among nursing staff, improving their physical and emotional well-being.
“Raising environmental awareness among patients and students means sowing the seeds of green transformation through education and collective action,” highlights environmental nurse Third Sergeant Ronald Omar Peña.
“We are part of sustainability and the environment, and we carry that message to our homes and communities,” adds environmental coordinator Máster José Iván Chavarría Contreras.
The commitment of the Dr. “Alejandro Dávila Bolaños” Military Hospital reflects two goals of the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Sustainability Agenda: Leadership and Buildings. By engaging the entire hospital community and transforming its spaces and surroundings into greener areas, the hospital not only strengthens the health of patients and staff, but also sets an example of environmental leadership in the health sector.
This and other case studies from inspiring hospital members of GGHH can be explored in more detail on Connect, the network’s knowledge-sharing platform.