Sustainability

At Sunway Healthcare Group (SHG), sustainability is more than a responsibility — it is integral to our mission of advancing holistic care and building a healthier, greener future. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we continually strive to enhance environmental stewardship, social inclusivity, and ethical governance across all aspects of our operations.

Through collaborations with various non-governmental organizations to ensure equitable access to necessary health treatments, aligning with the Ministry of Health's goal of achieving better health for all, we are committed to creating long-term value for our stakeholders.

Environmental Stewardship

Operational Excellence, Environmental Care

Protecting our environment is vital to protecting human health. SHG is committed to minimising our environmental footprint through energy and water efficiency, conservation efforts, sustainable infrastructure, and responsible resource management.

Waste Management

Clinical Waste Management

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Through partnership with Kualiti Alam, we ensure our clinical waste disposal procedures align with the Ministry of Environment guidelines. We have also signed agreements with third party agencies to recycle non-contaminated clinical waste, diverting waste from incineration, reducing both our environmental footprint and disposal costs.

Waste Segregation and Recycling

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SHG has made significant strides in integrating sustainable waste management into our operations, culture, and long-term planning. All hospitals implemented waste segregation, categorising food waste, recyclables, general waste and e-waste for more effective disposal.

Food Waste

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SHG has launched several initiatives aimed at tackling food waste. Since April 2024, SMC began in-house food composting, where the compost generated is used to enrich hospital landscaping, contributing to both environmental sustainability and cost savings. Sunway Medical Centre Velocity has installed a food digester in July 2025 to convert food waste into liquid form for disposal.

Sustainable Infrastructure

As part of our commitment to clean energy we have installed solar panels at several of our hospitals and eco-walk link bridges. We continuously assess the suitability of our facilities and plan to expand solar installation across more locations wherever feasible, supporting our transition towards low-carbon operations.

Additionally, rainwater harvesting tanks have been installed at our hospitals, where the harvested rainwater is used for activities such as cleaning the loading bay, waste chamber, and maintaining landscapes.

Sunway Medical Centre Phase 4 and Sunway Medical Centre Penang are certified as green buildings while our medical centres in Damansara and Ipoh are currently undergoing certification processes.

Governance

Strong Foundations for Sustainable Growth

Sustainability is embedded at every level of SHG’s structure. The Group Board and senior management provide strategic direction, integrating sustainability into both business and operational goals. Each hospital incorporates a five-year sustainability plan as part of its annual business plan.

The SHG Sustainability Committee, led by the Managing Director and comprising the SHG Head of Sustainability and Heads of Operations from each hospital, ensures group-wide alignment and oversight. At the hospital level, Sustainability Committees chaired by the Head of Operations include representatives from nursing, allied health, support services, and administration. These cross-functional teams lead initiatives, foster participation, and ensure alignment with SHG’s broader strategy.

Financing

Sustainability Sukuk

In May 2024, Sunway Healthcare Treasury Sdn Bhd successfully issued its first rated sustainability sukuk, raising RM400 million at a favourable credit spread to fund SHG’s hospital expansion aims of 3,000 beds in Malaysia by 2030. This was underpinned by the AA credit rating by MARC Rating on the Sukuk Programme and the strong demand for healthcare credit papers.

SHG’s sustainability financing framework earned a “Gold” rating from MARC Rating, recognising its impact on healthcare access, green buildings, energy efficiency and renewable energy. By tapping into the Sukuk market, SHG is able to enhance its financial flexibility with lower cost of funds, thus improving profit margins.