EBME Forums Forums Management Training X-Ray training Courses UK

That's good news, then. I agree that the smaller charity groups are usually more effective, being (as you say) closer to the reality on the ground. They tend to be more focused, too (eg, specialising in a particular geographical area or even specific location).

Is the ability to pay the (that is, your) only criteria, Brian? I only ask as I'm thinking here of Roman's situation out in Uganda (which may be typical). If I'm not mistaken (and I hope to be corrected, if mistaken), Roman works for a private servicing company. So, would you train (or have you in the past trained) all-comers, or just staff at hospitals supported by charities, faith-based hospitals, or whatever?

This will be great and beneficial to developing Biomeds for example in Uganda we could be having less than 5 people who repair / service X-rays , so if this kind of training comes up i know most of the units kept in corridors that require big or small repairs will then be worked upon, even those trained well can be ready to carryout this training to the rest of Biomeds.

Cheers ALL.

Meanwhile (and slightly off topic) Roman, is there still a need (if indeed it can be said that there ever was one) for visiting technicians (engineers, if you prefer) to travel out there, and work their way from place to place, fixing kit and "making good" as they go (or, at least making copious notes about what to bring, or have sent out, for the next visit)? Or ... is such a notion now a thing of the past?

Geoff, there is still great need to having visiting Technicians working on diffrent kits, but this requires some time to get some inventory of equipment such that you can gather spares, CMS or church missionary society based in england did this before that was way back in 1986-1990, infact the lads who trained me when i was in Joint Medical store had been trained by CMS, Heart Consultancy /The. Netherlands also have done some equipment fixing sometime in 2000 and ran a course on sterilisation and dissiffection.But all these trainings and repairs are done in mission/faith based hospitals , government health units have that burearacy that keeps them out of such services.

Interesting, Roman. Are you saying, then, that the government hospitals have their equipment maintenance well in hand, and it is only the non-government healthcare providers who are in need of help?

How many non-government hospitals and clinics are we talking about, would you say?

Infact Government has more equipment in the worst state,the faith based hospitals are more organised i would say, i worked for Joint medical store from 1999-2004, this organisation www.jms.co.ug works under church and its more organised,it handles almost 70% of Uganda health delivery,it has trained Biomeds who get tailored made courses like Laboratory , theatre,sterilisation equipment, you know what it means"corrumption"in Government

Thre two organisations that takecare of both protestant and catholic hospitals and health units and these are again that makeup joint medical store, check www.upmb.co.ug and www.ucmb.co.ug they have some info regarding number of non-governmental health units.

Thanks for those links, Roman. I'll take a close look at them later. Do I understand correctly that 70% of healthcare in Uganda is delivered at government hospitals?

I have run many types of courses, some for individual hospitals, some for companies, and some for charities, who have their own contacts. The main problem is knowing the background of the students, so that you can pitch the material at the correct level.
Of course, money comes into the equation, because someone has to pay the bills, but the biggest problem is finding the right people to take on the course, and this is where the problem of corruption sometimes gets in the way. You can end up with people who will not be involved in the work, but have the right connections. This is where the charities can be of real assistance.

Thats very correct, for instance an olympic committee sent their relatives for the olympics and left out the guys who where supposed to participate in various games that featured, so that was corrumption, but in Uganda we have an association on medical and hospital engineers(UNAHME),this body can help to indentify the right people to attend this training, even Kenya and Tanzania do have simillar associations so EastAFrica, the only problem if this training is worked upon dealing with government then expect poor outcomes.