Private agency to maintain equipment at Mumbai civic body’s hospitals | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Private agency to maintain equipment at Mumbai civic body’s hospitals

Hindustan Times | BySadaguru Pandit
Feb 24, 2018 12:41 AM IST

BMC says the system will improve uptime of the repairs and ensure patients are not inconvenienced during the period

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to hire a private agency to repair and replace the 4,000-odd medical equipment at its hospitals.

The BMC runs four medical colleges, 16 peripheral hospitals and five specialised treatment hospitals in Mumbai.(HT FILE)
The BMC runs four medical colleges, 16 peripheral hospitals and five specialised treatment hospitals in Mumbai.(HT FILE)

The BMC runs four medical colleges, 16 peripheral hospitals and five specialised treatment hospitals in Mumbai. In phase one of the project, called the Through Biomedical Equipment Management system (BEM), the municipal health department created an inventory of medical equipment across the hospitals and segregated them according to their manufacturer’s warranty period and valuation. 

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

According to the data, 212 of 10,054 pieces of medical equipment are dysfunctional. While 3,263 pieces are under Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) or Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC), 6,791 are past the warranty period and have been excluded from the BEM list as the responsibility of the repairs is already entrusted upon the manufacturers. 

“We also excluded high-end equipment like ventilators and MRI machines, which have complicated mechanisms and they need to be managed by manufacturers if they need repairs. Eventually as per our calculations, there will be over 5,000 equipment across the hospitals that will be brought under BEM and one agency will be responsible to take care of the repairs and replacement in the period of repairs,” said Idzes Kundan, additional municipal commissioner (health). 

Kundan added that the system will improve uptime of the repairs and ensure patients are not inconvenienced during the period. The contact number of the agency representatives will be given the hospital officials who can call and ask for the repairs and replacement of the equipments whenever it malfunctions. 

Dr Avinash Supe, director, medical education, said that earlier they used to maintain a paper ledger of malfunctioned equipments and at times the repairs used to take time. “The system, apart from maintaining an online database of equipments and its functionality, will also offer us a better uptime for maintenance of the equipments, eventually ensuring patients availing treatment on time,” said Dr Supe.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On