Practices and factors affecting on-site medical equipment maintenance at Wau Teaching Hospital, South Sudan

Abstract

Background of the study With advances in the clinical field, medical devices in hospitals are also becoming more sophisticated and need to function under ideal conditions. In this context, it is important for hospitals to focus on the effective and fast repair of life-saving equipment

Objective: The objective of the research was to determine the practices and the influential factors that affect on-site medical equipment maintenance.

Methodology: This was a mixed method, concurrent triangulation. First data related to maintenance practices, factors affecting medical equipment and the root causes of equipment failure were collected using questionnaires and at the same time those maintenance practices, factors influencing medical devices and root causes of equipment failure were explored using semi-structure interviews with the qualified and experience healthcare workers. Questionnaires were analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version Twenty-Three. Content analysis inductive approach was used to analyze qualitative data in which themes and sub-themes were identified. Lastly the results were integrated for similarities or differences. Desk review and observation checklist were used.

Results: In this study, the maintenance practices documented was outsourcing a repair process to third-party logistic when a medical device broke down. There were lack of inspection, prevention, predictive and proactive maintenance practices, most areas of weakness were lack of a trained technician, biomedical engineering and there was no designated area to repair medical devices as equipment is being maintained in their places where they are situated in the hospital. There was scarcity of local, global and protocols in place. The study has found new medical device out-of date lying down and that due lack expertise. The study also documented improper storage, inappropriate handling, lack of highly trained technicians, poor planning and management.

Conclusions: The findings showed that corrective maintenance and outsourcing were the main maintenance practices observed. Factors affecting medical equipment repair processes and the root causes of medical equipment maintenance failure were linked to Resources, education, information xiii bank, quality and testing, inspection and preventive maintenance, design and implementation and miss- appropriateness of medical equipment.

Recommendations: Biomedical engineering are needed at national and sub-national, avail resources for capacity building, equipment donation, procurement is to be based on the need and availability of the expertise and adoption of inspection and prevention strategy. Further study on medical equipment prioritization, human resource for medical equipment, financial implication on medical equipment maintenance practices.