TS health dept keeps high-end medical equipment in check

Hyderabad: Maintenance of medical equipment in government hospitals has always frustrated patients and hospital authorities. Almost all the public health institutions in Telangana State have in the past struggled with non-functional high-end medical equipment.

Back in 2015-16, according to the estimates made by State Health and Medical Department, anywhere between 30 per cent and 60 per cent of medical equipment in government hospitals were non-functional.

Defunct medical equipment in government hospitals is known for dragging down the quality of healthcare. Non-availability of diagnostic tests causes a lot of heartburn among patients because they have to incur out of pocket expenditures for tests at private diagnostic clinics.

Considering the gravity of the situation, in the last 18 months, the State health authorities have put in place a system of checks and balances aimed at ensuring medical equipment is available in a working condition.

In the early part of 2017, the Health Department, based on Biomedical Equipment Management and Maintenance Program of National Health Mission (NHM) of Health Ministry, had framed guidelines that are vital for proper maintenance of medical equipment in State government hospitals.

By June, 2017, based on the guidelines, a tender was floated and an agency ‘Sindoori Faber’, a Malaysian-Indian agency specialising in such work, was identified to handle maintenance of medical equipment in government hospitals for a period of five years. Roughly, the State government will incur costs to the tune of Rs 20 crore every year to pay for the comprehensive annual maintenance contract.

“The aim is to ensure 95 per cent of the medical equipment in teaching and district hospitals are available round-the-clock and throughout the year. The private agency is providing comprehensive maintenance and facility management services,” says Executive Director, Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC), Dr. Mantha Srinivas.

Senior doctors familiar with the concept acknowledge that notwithstanding the initial hiccups, the new system of maintaining medical equipment in Government hospitals is a right move forward and will be a successful model in the long run.