On October 1st, 2015, m4h together with partners TTM Marburg and MEH Consultants, Nepal, and the Management Division of the Department of Health Services (DoHS) launched the Programme ‘Nationwide Contracting Out of Maintenance Services for Medical Equipment in the presence of senior Ministry officials, representatives of KfW Development Bank and the German Embassy, as well as Development partners active in Nepal.
The Programme will be managed by the Physical Asset Management (PAM) Section of the DoHS with support from the Consultant and aims at outsourcing maintenance of medium to high-sophisticated medical equipment to local private sector providers in all the five regions of Nepal. These providers will be selected through national competitive bidding, which will be launched during the next months.
The key role of m4h and partners will be to develop the institutional capacities and systems of the PAM Section in managing the outsourcing contracts, as well as sensitize and support key stakeholders in developing a national PAM policy that considers the whole life cycle of medical technology within the Nepali healthcare systems.
Previous experience has shown that outsourcing models for maintenance provide a cost-effective solution, with annual maintenance costs in the range of 7% of replacement value of serviced equipment, as long as contracts are effectively developed and managed with sufficient steering capacities. Improved equipment functionality and training of technicians and users at the health facilities are amongst the key determinants of quality service provision, correct diagnosis and appropriate patient treatments.
m4h and partners look forward to a successful implementation with all the stakeholders involved.
