HCTM Launches Plastic-Free Initiative
Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), has taken a proactive step towards supporting global sustainability efforts with the official launch of its Sustainability Programme: Plastic-Free Initiative. The programme was inaugurated by HCTM Director, Dato’ Dr. Azmi Baharudin, at the Gallery, Tuanku Ja’afar Chancellor Medical Education Complex, HCTM.
In his opening address, Dato’ Dr. Azmi Baharudin described the initiative as more than just an environmental campaign, but a cultural shift that reflects HCTM’s commitment to promoting both community well-being and environmental stewardship. As a leading teaching hospital and academic medical centre, he emphasised that HCTM has a responsibility to champion sustainable practices, recognising the close relationship between human health and the health of the environment.
He further noted that the growing reliance on single-use plastics has become a global concern. These materials can take hundreds of years to decompose, contributing to pollution of land and waterways, contaminating the food chain, and posing long-term risks to public health.
The programme is a collaborative effort between HCTM’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Committee and the Department of Quality. It aims to progressively reduce the use of single-use plastics among hospital staff and visitors while fostering environmentally responsible practices across the organisation. Staff members are encouraged to adopt simple yet meaningful habits, such as bringing reusable drink containers, using reusable food containers, and declining plastic bags within the hospital premises.
Also present at the launch were Prof. Dr. Marliah Mohd Hanafiah, Deputy Director of the UKM Institute of Climate Change; Dr. Zairul Azwan Mohd Azman, Deputy Director (Medical Services) and Chair of the HCTM Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Committee; members of the HCTM Management Team; Dr. Noor Asyikin Jasni, Head of the Department of Quality; as well as heads of departments and senior officers of HCTM UKM.