Improvement of Medical Imaging Equipment Management System of Bangladesh

Abstract

This thesis deals with the development of a standard Medical Imaging Equipment Management System (MIEMS) in the public hospitals of Bangladesh. Medical imaging equipment management has become an important component of health services delivery in Bangladesh. One of the most serious issues of Hospitals, Medical Center, Clinics and the health Systems is the threat in diagnosing diseases due to improper medical imaging equipment management system in Bangladesh. Presently a proper equipment management set-up does not exist in public hospitals and the overall diagnostic equipment condition in various departments is very poor. To find the facts and reasons the author visited fifteen medical imaging equipment departments in public hospitals of Bangladesh. From the data it is seen that a big percentage of the required management steps were found to be lacking. Based on the findings of the studies and with a view to improving the existing MIEMS, it is proposed to improve the medical imaging equipment management system for public hospitals in Bangladesh. The major findings are insufficient Biomedical Engineering Team, negligible in-house and central MIEMS, weak bridge between users and biomedical engineering team. The Ministry of Health and Family welfare of Bangladesh Govt., maintains a separate Medical Imaging Equipment Management System, which is not consistent with this plan. The MIEMS is designed to assure selection of appropriate medical imaging equipment to support the medical care processes of the nation and its ambulatory care facilities. The program is designed to assure effective preparation of staff responsible for the use or maintenance of the equipment. Finally, the program is designed to assure continuous availability of safe, effective equipment through a planned maintenance program, timely repair and evaluation of all events that could have an adverse impact on safety of patients or staff. The Clinical Biomedical Engineering Department staff has primary responsibility to maintain and repair all medical equipment including equipment under contract maintenance agreement by Vendors. All staff who uses medical equipment is required to learn and implement various general and specific procedures to ensure safe and reliable use of medical equipment. In addition, it will provide a proper guideline for all patient care staff, failures and user errors associated with the use of medical equipment. Regular maintenance and evaluation are necessary to assure that particular equipment delivers the expected performance within specified para