By Abuja, Nigeria
In a bid to improve health care quality and ensure patients safety, the Federal Government has urged hospitals across the country to conduct regular audits and maintenance of medical equipment.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare gave the charge in Abuja during the opening of a capacity-building seminar for biomedical engineers at the National Hospital, warning that neglected devices undermine care quality and patient safety.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate represented by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, stressed that even the most advanced machines can be ineffective if not properly maintained.
“The ministry has launched a National Biomedical Equipment Audit and is developing a maintenance framework to institutionalise preventive care in federal hospitals and medical centres.”
“The government is also upgrading training facilities at teaching hospitals in Benin, Lagos, Zaria, Enugu and Maiduguri to strengthen biomedical engineering education, as part of wider efforts to modernise health infrastructure,” he added.
Participants at the summit drawn from federal, state and private hospitals lamented the lack of maintenance culture in various hospitals, noting that many hospitals still leave valuable equipment idle due to poor maintenance, a gap the training aims to close through hands-on skills and safety protocols.
