Medical supplies / equipment in primary health care

ECHO

Medical supplies and equipment for primary health care A practical resource for procurement and management

by Manjit Kaur and Sarah Hall Editor Kathy Attawell

Drugs, medical supplies and equipment have a significant impact on the quality of patient care and account for a high proportion of health care costs. Health services need to make informed choices about what to buy in order to meet priority health needs and avoid wasting limited resources. Many organisations have produced useful information about essential drugs, but less information is available about essential medical supplies and equipment. Despite the fact that there is a much wider range of different brands and items to choose from, selecting supplies and equipment is often given little attention. This often results in procurement of items that are inappropriate because they are technically unsuitable, incompatible with existing equipment, spare parts and consumables are not available, or because staff have not been trained to use them. Procurement is only one part of managing medical supplies and equipment, and effective storage, stock control, care and maintenance are also critical if health services are to get the most out of what they buy. However, there is also limited information available about these aspects of management of medical supplies and equipment. To address this situation, ECHO has produced Medical supplies and equipment for primary health care. The manual is intended to be a practical resource for those responsible for procurement and management of medical supplies and equipment at primary health care level. It includes guiding principles for selecting supplies and equipment, provides guidelines for procurement, storage and stock control, care and maintenance, and considers safe disposal of medical waste. The manual also discusses the use of standard lists as a tool for encouraging good procurement practice and includes model lists of medical supplies and equipment required for primary health care activities in health facilities and in the community, and for basic laboratory facilities. Although Medical supplies and equipment for primary health care is mainly intended for primary health care level, it will also be a useful resource for those at national and district levels responsible for health planning and management, training, and managing medical stores.

ECHO International Health Services Limited Ullswater Crescent Coulsdon Surrey CR5 2HR United Kingdom T +44 (0)20 8660 2220 F +44 (0)20 8668 0751 E cs@.uk .uk

?7.50 ISBN 0-9541799-0-0

Medical supplies and equipment for primary health care A practical resource for procurement and management

by Manjit Kaur and Sarah Hall Editor Kathy Attawell

ECHO

International Health Services Limited

Published by ECHO International Health Services Ltd, 2001.

? ECHO International Health Services Ltd, 2001.

All rights reserved. This publication can be freely reviewed, abstracted, reproduced or translated, in part or in whole, but not for sale or for use in conjunction with commercial purposes, and provided that ECHO is acknowledged as the source. The content and information contained in this publication are intended as guidelines only.

Medical supplies and equipment for primary health care A practical resource for procurement and management

ISBN 0-9541799-0-0

Printed in the United Kingdom by Dunns.

Price: One copy free of charge to organisations in the South, ?7.50 for additional copies and for international organisations.

Available from: ECHO International Health Services Ltd Ullswater Crescent Coulsdon Surrey CR5 2HR UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 8660 2220 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8668 0751 E-mail: cs@.uk .uk

ECHO is a UK registered charity supplying low-cost, quality assured pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, equipment, teaching aids and books to the public and non-profit health sector in developing countries. ECHO also provides advice and training, and publishes practical information on medical supplies and equipment.

"It is not the knowing that is difficult, but the doing"

Chinese proverb

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