National efforts to improve healthcare technology management and medical device safety in India

In the practice of contemporary modern medicine, effective and safe use of healthcare technology is acknowledged worldwide as essential for any healthcare system. Achieving these goals can be particularly challenging in developing countries such as India, where an estimated 75% of medical technology is imported and studies have shown that almost 30% of medical equipment is out of service. Furthermore, concerns regarding medical equipment safety have been raised in newspaper reports and also reported by a pilot study. However, recently, substantial efforts are being made to introduce changes in the health care system that will help in improving this situation. Discussions on these issues were initiated at two `International Clinical Engineering Workshops' (Trivandrum 2009 and Pune 2011) and two `Regional Clinical Engineering Workshops' (Latur and Mumbai 2011). A clear consensus emerged from these Workshops that urgent action was essential to initiate effective Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) practices in all healthcare sectors and actively promote medical device and equipment safety in India. Subsequently, in February 2012, a round table meeting of experts was held, which focused on confronting medical and healthcare management staff with the problems to be solved, while at the same time helping to develop an action plan to bring about the necessary changes. These consultations identified existing gaps and underlying reasons, thus leading to development of an action plan for the future. This paper reviews all these efforts and highlights the outcomes.