Despite good intentions, life-saving medical donations often end up discarded or broken. New training programs aim to change all that
Medical equipment donations enable hospitals in developing countries to get their hands on expensive and much-needed technology. But there’s a growing concern that those donations do more harm than good. Hallways and closets often become cluttered with unused or broken-down equipment for which locals lack parts or training in how to make repairs. Outdated electrical systems groan under the strain of large medical devices, possibly compromising a hospital’s power.
“I think there is a great risk for every medical device donation that it’s going to hurt the recipient,” says Robert Malkin, a professor of the practice of biomedical engineering at Duke University.
Recently, a study of seven hospitals in Haiti found only 30 percent of the 115 pieces of medical equipment donated after the 2010 earthquake were working and 14 percent of the equipment could not be repaired. The study also found that some donated devices, such as incubators for premature babies, could never work in the hospitals, because they required a higher electrical voltage than is standard in Haiti.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates (pdf) that as much as 80 percent of medical equipment in some countries is donated or funded through foreign sources, but only 10 percent to 30 percent of the donations are ever put into operation.
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- UBI donates state-of-the-art equipment to CR hospitalon May 9, 2024 at 2:26 pm
Central Railway, in collaboration with the Union Bank of India CSR Foundation Trust, marked a significant milestone in healthcare by donating a cutting ... this state-of-the-art equipment aims to ...
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Christus Spohn Shoreline Hospital held a symposium today to bring together clinical experts and community partners to see their new simulation equipment.
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Soroptimist International of St. Helena recently made major donations to four local nonprofits. Hundreds gathered in Veterans Memorial Park in Napa on Sunday for the annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes ...
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A Cadillac church is going a step further to help its community by making medical equipment more accessible.St. Mary's Episcopa ...
- Hospitals to benefit from major donation of equipment through Belizean diasporaon May 1, 2024 at 8:24 pm
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- Rwanda: Ambassador Wang Xuekun attended the Donation Ceremony of medical supplies and equipment by Beijing Genomics Institution (BGI)on May 1, 2024 at 7:56 am
Rwanda: Ambassador Wang Xuekun attended the Donation Ceremony of medical supplies and equipment by Beijing Genomics Institution (BGI) ...
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