Bhopal: Medical equipment in govt hosps needs urgent upkeep

Bhopal: Less than half of the 66,000 medical equipment in health centres or hospitals run by the state government are not under annual maintenance. It's no surprise then that 15,000 complaints of equipment malfunction was reported in the last year, according to state government data. Some 44 lakh people depend on health department-run hospitals for free treatment each year in Madhya Pradesh.

Believe it or not, on paper, the oldest ECG machine, being used in a government-run hospital dates back to 1974. It is in used in a ward in the district hospital in Sehore. Of the 40 oxygen concentrators, date of purchase of only 14 machines is known. The device, mostly used in special newborn care units, concentrates the oxygen from a gas supply (typically ambient air) by selectively removing nitrogen to supply an oxygen-rich gas stream.

Madhya Pradesh is the first state to map all medical equipment with a unique barcode. Annual maintenance contract makes it incumbent to have a problem fixed within a week. Also, non-reporting of equipment malfunction leads to action against the hospital incharge. Complaint can be made through a toll-free number, mobile application or system generated log.

However, some of the equipment like mercury-based blood pressure instrument have been not covered under annual maintenance contract. Health department officials said that digital BP meters are being introduced as per directives of the NGT.

For instance, in Bhopal division, of the 1,630 medical equipment accounted for, expiry date or end of annual maintenance of 1,052 equipment is listed as ‘not available’. Sources said in many cases there are no log books or other references to cross-check the manufacture or purchase of these equipment. 790 of these equipment were purchased between 2010 and 2013.

As many as 199 equipment were purchased between year 2000 and 2009. The oldest purchase dates back to 1981 -- one being Mass Miniature Radiography (MMR) in radiology department and two shadowless lamps. All three are in the Sehore hospital. Supply date of one X-ray machine in the same hospital is also 1981.

Bhopal division includes Hoshangabad, VIdisha, Betul, Raisen, Sehore, Bhopal, Harda and Rajgarh. “Some of old equipment are still in use,” said CMHO Sehore district, Dr Padmakar Triwari