Burke, MPD;
Adeyemi, A;
Horne, P;
Ricketts, K;
Annkah, J;
Rosenberg, I;
Royle, G;
... Sackey, T; + view all
(2013)
Mechanisms for introducing large medical devices into developing countries. Avoiding the pitfalls of the past and providing possible solutions for the future.
Presented at: Second WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices, Geneva.
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Abstract
The predicted emergence of cancer as a major NCD in developing countries by 2020 has already prompted some governments to invest in cancer treatment. The large medical devices required to provide comprehensive radiotherapy are both expensive to purchase and to install. Manufacturers have therefore started producing a range of large medical devices which are specifically designed for the emerging market in developing countries. This market, however, can produce unforeseen problems. The lack of experience of the logistics involved in the delivery and installation of such large pieces of equipment can often lead to underestimations in time scales by the recipients. Advice and assistance on the clinical procurement process is essential for avoiding long delays. Within the UK, the lifecycle of radiotherapy machines can often be ten years or less, which in most cases is well below the actual lifetime of the machines. Therefore many machines are decommissioned to be scrapped well within the usable equipment lifetime. However, if decommissioning was performed so that the machine could be salvaged, the extra cost would be relatively low. Such machines could be serviced and donated to developing countries allowing them to increase their radiotherapy coverage greatly for the cost of the decommissioning, servicing and installation process. Therefore it would seem that with a small change to the decommissioning process of large medical devices, developing countries who could benefit from equipment, which otherwise would be scrapped, could attain a large number of life changing pieces of equipment within their tight budgetary constraints and make a real impact on the predicted increase in cancer deaths.
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