Equipping health facilities: A matter of life and death
Critical equipment in health facilities is crucial for several reasons – it helps in accurate and timely diagnosis.
Equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, computed tomography (CT) scanners, and ultrasound machines among others enable healthcare professionals to diagnose conditions accurately and quickly.
Also, critical health equipment gives improved patient outcomes because accurate diagnosis leads to effective treatment, reducing morbidity and mortality rates.
Equipment like ventilators, defibrillators, and dialysis machines support life-saving interventions.
Critical care equipment like electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors and pulse oximeters track patient vital signs, enabling prompt interventions.
Furthermore, critical equipment reduces the risk of medical errors and adverse events while automated equipment streamlines clinical workflows, reducing wait times and improving patient satisfaction.
Sad to say the state of healthcare in Ghana is a pressing concern, with many health facilities lacking critical equipment to provide quality medical care.
This shortage not only hinders the ability of healthcare professionals to deliver optimal care but also puts patients' lives at risk.
For instance, during his state of the nation address in February this year, President John Dramani Mahama revealed a dismal state of affairs at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) where essential imaging equipment, including MRI and CT scan machines, digital X-ray and ultrasound systems had been out of service since May 2022.
It is heartbreaking to note that when emergencies happen, health professionals are left hapless because they do not have basic tools to save lives. Stories abound of people who lost their lives just because a health facility did not have a basic tool. Just recently, Dr Kwame Adu Ofori, an Emergency Physician, passed on due to a lack of a catheterisation laboratory (cath lab) at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
It is unacceptable that in this age and time, major teaching hospitals do not have basic tools to save lives.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, supports the appeal by some members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) to the government to launch a national equipment mobilisation campaign to retool health facilities with critical equipment.
In line with this appeal, the members, Early Career Pharmaceutical Group, has proposed “a government-led globally supported Ghana Health Infrastructure Emergency Fund” for the purpose.
“This should invite contributions from bilateral partners, diaspora networks and philanthropic entities to purchase critical diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, including catheterisation labs,” the group said in a petition to the Minister of Health in Accra.
We call on government to allocate more resources to healthcare and prioritise equipment procurement and maintenance.
There is no need for all the funfair that go with the opening of a hospital or health facility when basic tools that will save lives are not provided. Government must strategically locate critical equipment in rural and underserved areas.
We also believe that the development of a national equipment plan – to create a comprehensive plan to assess, procure, and maintain critical equipment in health facilities across the country should be an urgent need.
Proper care and regular maintenance of equipment is a major challenge in Ghana and the paper urges the Ministry of Health to establish a maintenance culture to ensure equipment is regularly serviced and repaired. Healthcare staff also need training on equipment operation, maintenance and troubleshooting.
While at this, the ministry could also look at developing a system to track equipment inventory, usage and maintenance needs as well as conduct regular assessments to identify equipment needs and prioritise procurement.
The paper believes it will be in the country’s best interest to leverage technology by exploring innovative solutions such as telemedicine, mobile health units and digital health platforms to enhance access to care. We also need to encourage local manufacturers of medical equipment to reduce costs and increase accessibility.
It is important and urgent to provide the country’s health facilities with critical equipment to give meaning to the government’s promise of achieving universal health coverage for all Ghanaians. We must make this a frontburner issue to save lives, improve health outcomes and restore trust in the healthcare system.
