Performance of Health Care Equipment in Public Sector Hospitals (With Reference to Select Hospitals in Hyderabad)

The main objective of this research paper is to ascertain the problems and causes related to the failure of health care equipment and devices in Hyderabad public sector hospitals and to recommend policies and strategies to develop a procedure or mechanism for better management of health care equipment to improve health care delivery and to minimize wastage of scarce public resources. A structured questionnaire survey was used to collect data from a sample of twelve public sector hospitals situated in different regions of Hyderabad. This study also includes may discussions with medical professionals, health care administrators and paramedical staff etc. This paper concludes that non-existence of national healthcare technology management policy on selection, assessment, acquisition, usage, maintenance, disposal and replacement of medical equipment and devices in Hyderabad is the main factor responsible for poor management of healthcare equipment and device, Formulation and implementation of coherent health care equipment and devices management policy at national and regional level would improve health care delivery and resolve many of the problems related to the management of health care equipment and devices in public sector hospitals in Hyderabad.