Medical technology procurement practice has to be effective such that the outcomes lead to safe, equitable and quality health care.

Procurement is a fundamental constituent of unbiased access to health care. Poor practices lead to substandard provision or performance of health technology.

The medical devices procured must offer economic advantage. This does not necessarily mean the lowest price obtained, but the best deal for the institute’s needs.

Other essential factors requiring due consideration are:

• Payment and warranty
• Satisfactory and well-defined terms for delivery, installation, commissioning
• Timely delivery, handover and training
• Satisfactory after-sales service

Simply put, one must concentrate on the “five rights”:

• The right product or service
• The right quality
• The right price
• The right quantity
• The right place and time.

As simple as it may sound, this formula requires integrity, transparency and accountability, establishing clear lines of responsibility in decision-making processes.
Assets, both bought or leased, require:

Planning & Need Assessment

• Creating a multi-disciplinary procurement team and preparing a work plan
• Assessing the need for the medical device
• Creating an itemised list of required items with specifications
• Defining site requirements and preparing cost estimates for the same
• Defining manpower requirements (same manpower can be trained or require additional manpower), their costs and training program and schedule
• Funding sources/mechanisms for the device/s
• Delineating methodology for purchase
• Procurement plan finalisation

Device Evaluation

• Research
• Review existing devices
• Check that a particular device does what the manufacturer claims that it does
• What international certification does the device adhere too
• Can the device be shared with other services
• Maintenance costs
• Spare parts availability and cost
• Support requirements of other departments
• Does the device require calibrating at regular intervals and is special equipment 
required for this function
• Specialist and user inputs

Operation & Service Manual

• Is a full operations and service manual available, complete with operating instructions and schematic diagrams and set up procedures, to allow biomedical staff to conduct preventive maintenance and / or repairs of the equipment in the event that the equipment is not under AMC
• Such operating and service manuals will require to be included in the purchase
• Provision must also be made for manufacturers technical updates to be sent to the 
Bio-Medical Engineering department 
and this to be included in the purchase specification

Procurement

• Issuance of bid documents
• Receipt and opening of bids
• Technical evaluation and shortlisting through technical and vendor assessment
• Evaluation of financial component of bids and shortlisting
• Vendor negotiations
• Defining payment schedule and terms of delivery and installation
• Awarding contract/purchase order

Contract administration till delivery of device/s

• Monitoring site readiness to accept device/s as scheduled

Pre-Installation/Installation

• Site preparation
• Medical devices pre-delivery preparation
• Monitoring delivery
• Receipt and inspection
• Documentation verification and stock comparing with delivered items
• Assembly of device, if any
• Stocking of disposables and consumables

Commissioning

• Safety, calibration and acceptance tests
• Training – user staff and maintenance staff
• Recording all events and handing over to user department

Dhanraj Chandriani
Managing Directorbr>Technecon Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.