How we approach our business
Social Enterprise
If you’ve looked around on our website, you’ve probably got a good idea of what Hospitainer is and what we do. Hospitainer is a Dutch company that sells modified shipping containers and tents which can be used to create mobile, modular hospitals all over the world where people can receive basic treatment, gynaecological care or even surgery. This is just an example of what we do, but doesn’t paint the whole picture either.
We would like to draw attention to how Hospitainer does what it does. For instance, Hospitainer is a for profit company but we are also a member of Social Enterprise NL. While it has no legal definition in the Netherlands (yet), the European Commission’s definition of a social enterprise states things such as:
A social Enterprise should:
– Primarily conduct business based on a social mission (Impact first)
– Create an impact as an enterprise providing goods or services
– View profits as a means, rather than an end
– Conduct business in a socially conscious manner.
Making the world a better place by ensuring everyone has access to good medical care is extremely important to Hospitainer and every day we try to do more and increase our impact. The more people we can help through our hospitals and our other products, the better.
At Hospitainer, we are of extremely proud that we can call ourselves a social enterprise. We plan to keep improving the way we do things and making sure that our impact is a positive one.
Our profile on Social Enterprise.nl
Certification ISO
Hospitainer is proud to announce that we have been recertified for ISO 9001 and 14001 standards. These prestigious certifications are evidence of our commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in our operations and processes.
The ISO 9001 certification is an internationally recognized standard for quality management. This means that we meet the highest standards for quality management and focus on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. This is invaluable to our customers because they can trust that we provide products and services that meet their specific requirements and expectations.
Additionally, we have also obtained the ISO 14001 certification. This is an internationally recognized standard for environmental management, which means that we focus on minimizing our ecological footprint and reducing our impact on the environment. This allows us to provide sustainable solutions to our customers and contribute to a better world.
Furthermore, we are also AQAP-ready. AQAP is a quality management standard used by NATO and its affiliated organizations. This means that we meet the highest standards for quality management and are ready to provide our customers with the best products and services that meet the most stringent requirements.
All in all, we are proud of our certifications and continually strive to improve our processes and services. This enables us to provide our customers with the best solutions that meet the highest standards for quality and sustainability.
Workforce for Life
Your works means life to others.
What is WFL
Workforce for Life is a workforce that uses skills and capacity to improve and save the lives of people. Not a philanthropic organization, but a core of entrepreneurs who invest their skills and resources in mobile hospitals for the ones in need. This is done for a combination of commercial and ‘quality of life’ reasons.
Why is WFL needed?
The professionals who work on the Hospitainers experience that working with us adds an extra dimension to their work and life. You don’t merely work for a living, but your skills contribute to the quality of life for others and that contributes to your own quality of life.
Spontaneously, professionals offer to go an extra mile. They express to experience joy in working together on the Hospitainers and they want to be involved on a structural basis. Hospitainer wants to have our mobile hospitals in stock, to be able to deliver quickly in case of emergencies. This is a big investment.
How do we do it?
The idea for Workforce for Life was born when a professional construction company offered to invest off-peak hours in the development of a new Hospitainer. We agreed that the payment of the invested hours would take place after selling the Hospitainer. Other professionals liked the idea and also offered to invest skills, time and resources. First and foremost, we agree on the value of the input that will be paid back later. As partners we own a part of a Hospitainer. This is expressed in a contract and a handed out certificate.
The benefits are clear
The professional partner turns less productive hours into cash at a later stage, enters into a network of like-minded companies and benefits as a long-term partners of the work that is provided by the growing Hospitainer company. Hospitainer has a circle of motivated professionals that want to go the extra mile and is able to keep Hospitainers in stock.
Together as the Workforce for Life, we invest in new medical solutions that will be available when needed.
Sustainable Development Goals
It’s easy to say you want to make the world a better place, but it’s a lot harder to decide on the best way to actually do that and sometimes it can seem like an insurmountable task, but this is exactly what the United Nations do. The UN have approved and adopted several plans of action over the years, such as agenda 21 in 1992 and the Millennium Declaration in 2000.
The most recent of these plans, is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was accepted by all of the UN’s member states in 2015. It was an urgent call to action for all countries and highlighted how eradicating things like global poverty and hunger would have to go hand-in-hand with strategies that spurred economic growth, healthcare and education. Whereas the Millennium Declaration had 8 Millennium Development Goals, the 2030 agenda built on this framework and presented 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These goals were as follows:
- No Poverty
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health and Well-Being
- Quality Education
- Gender Equality
- Clean Water and Sanitation
- Affordable and Clean Energy
- Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Reduced Inequalities
- Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Responsible Consumption and Production
- Climate Action
- Life Below Water
- Life on Land
- Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Partnerships
The good news is that some great progress has been made for some of the SDGs. For example, Global poverty has gone down from 36% in 1990 to 10% in 2015. While this still means that around 700 million people are living in abject poverty and whilst we are by no means done, it is a sign that progress has been made.
Sadly, there is still a lot of work to do and COVID-19 is not making things easier. Due to COVID, global poverty is expected to rise for the first time in 30 years and many women in abusive relationships cannot get away from their abusers due to lockdowns. Mind you, that’s not even mentioning the negative impact it’s had on healthcare and well-being. Making the world a better place is still going to take a lot of time and effort.
Despite current challenges, we are committed to doing our part at Hospitainer. We strive to produce our products as responsibly as possible, one such topic we are continuing to improve upon is water management. We provide ways to store wastewater so it can be treated appropriately and aside from our clean water storage, Hospipumps and Hospisinks make providing clean water easier. Another topic we are passionate about is helping to provide a safe treatment place for victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV). Our Maternitainers can allow women who have suffered from GBV to seek treatment without stigma.
Of course, Hospitainer remains determined to improve health and well-being by continuing to produce mobile, turn-key hospitals and clinics which can reach communities that would otherwise struggle to get proper healthcare. The more people we can help this way, the better.
We’ll keep doing our part at Hospitainer. Hopefully, we can all strive to meet these goals together and make our way of life a bit more sustainable and the world just a little bit better.