Telangana to internalize biomedical maintenance and equipment

Hyderabad: To maintain the continuous diagnostic and therapeutic services Telangana government on Monday announced to start a program management unit (PMU) to introduce centralized software for repair and maintenance of medical equipment, an exclusive unit of biomedical engineers to provide technical support. Additionally, the funds worth Rs 17.47 crore will be released to Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC) by the govt.

As per a media report in Telangana Today, some of the measures include centralized software for repair and maintenance of medical equipment, an exclusive unit of biomedical engineers to provide technical support, and release of Rs 17.47 crore additional funds to TSMSIDC.

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The steps are reported to have been taken to make sure the long-term and non-stop availability of medical equipment so that healthcare services are not hampered for patients. 

The TSMSIDC would be launching Medical Equipment and Maintenance Information System (MEMIS), an online software system that will connect all the superintendents and heads of government hospitals to TSMSIDC. The software would let the heads of government hospitals to raise online requests for repair and maintenance and simultaneously track the progress of resolution and closing of their requests. A Programme Management Unit (PMU) comprising of biomedical engineers would be established by the state to respond to MEMIS requests and provide technical guidance on equipment, in order to make the process easier. It would include a Project Manager, Biomedical Engineers, and Data Entry Operators. 

Further, medical equipment has been categorized into four categories. As per a media report in the Hans India, those are A- equipment costing above Rs 5 lakh and under warranty Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract (CAMC) yet to commence, B- equipment costing above Rs 5 lakh also requiring company maintenance for which CAMC need to be signed post-warranty, C-equipment costing above Rs 5 lakh whose age is more than seven years both warranty and CAMC exhausted and in working condition, D-equipment costing below Rs 5 lakh.

Further, the maintenance of equipment of categories A, B, and C would be taken up by the TSMSIDC. The maintenance for category D would be taken up by respective hospitals.

Issues of yearly maintenance of medical equipment with expired warranty and CAMC have often led to inordinate delays in repair, thus disrupting vital healthcare facilities for patients. Accordingly, a committee of senior health officials, including VC, KNRUHS, DME, Commissioner, TVVP, and others to negotiate with the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) over annual maintenance, has been established to deal with the issue. 

The committee would also be working on the modalities for maintenance of medical equipment costing less than Rs 5 lakh in a decentralized manner at the hospital level, reports the Telangana Today. Regarding this, a separate maintenance budget for each bed for all PHCs, CHCs, area and district hospitals, teaching and specialty hospitals in Telangana have been allocated by the state government. 

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