Departmental equipment maintenance system in Government Medical College

Background: Medical equipments are necessary to effectively monitor, treat and support the care of patients by doctors in the management of their medical conditions. Proper maintenance affects the performance and safety of equipment. As equipments are part of health care provision in hospital, it is necessary to have well planned and managed equipment maintenance system in the organization. Aim: The study revealed the medical equipment maintenance system in Physiology Department of tertiary care government teaching institute. Material and methods: A retrospective observational study, during February to June 2014 of fifty-two equipments costing more than 10,000 rupees was done for their maintenance system in the department. Information about equipment was collected by onsite inspection and departmental equipment records in structured proforma. Results: In the study, 45 mechanical and 7 electrical equipments costing less than 100,000 rupees were evaluated. It was found that 94.2% equipments did not have any service contract. From time of installation in the department it was found that most equipment i.e. 53.8% had crossed the life period of 15 years. Maximum i.e. 85.7% electrical equipments had crossed their average life period. There was no proper maintenance of logbook and non availability of the user manual by the side of 84.6% of the equipments in department. Service history in worksheet of all 52 instruments was not recorded, post warranty maintenance in all equipments was by local personals only which was needed in 90.4% equipments. Out of equipments needing the maintenance and repair, it was corrective type in 98.2% times and reactive type in 1.8% times. There was no special training of the technicians about the maintenance of equipments. 73.1% equipments were working while 21.2% were awaiting repair. The procedure of ‘maintenance request’ was noted in log book for all equipments. 3 of the equipment were having the long down time period above 5 years. Non functional equipment with long down time period was due to non availability of the spare parts in 21.2% equipment and vendor was not responding for maintenance in 5.7% equipment. Conclusion: There was need of proper equipment maintenance system in department. The long down time period of equipment was due to old technology, non-availability of parts and non-responding vendors.