EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Forceps, Scissors,etc Classification?

The Medical Supplies Department responsible for ordering items like forceps, grabbers, sheats,scissors,etc are planning to transfer such responsibility to our Biomedical department. They argue that since these items are not exactly "consummables" then it should come under BME. Is this argument correct?
My take is that since such items are hardly repairable, then we should not end up as a mere "procurement" for such items.
The time it takes also to try to repair them does not really justify the cost.
What does the EBME community think?

I think that your Medical Supplies Department is "not fit for purpose"!

What's next:- the biomeds lending a hand with triage in the Emergency Department?

I 101 percent agree with you Geoff. But I do need a very strong(and understandable) argument instead of a confrontational approach in order that my refusal to take in such extra reponsibility will be heard/considered.
When and if ever the BME agrees, each and every instrument will be given a specific code in the system. Once that code is approved it will be almost impossible to "remove" from the BME. That is why at this point I am fighting hard to refuse. Not to mention the time we will be spending checking and evaluating different types when offers come. Then when the order arrives to check each and every instrument. What a big mess I can imagine.

Whenever I was being put upon in ways like that "out there" ... I always used to agree at first (much to everyone's surprise).

Only to quickly add:- just as long as get the extra staffing, budget ... etc., etc.. "They" usually (always in fact) backed down (or rather quietly dropped the idea, in order to "save face").

Meanwhile, just what do your Medical Supplies Department do, then? Apart from drink chai that is.

Other approach could be to refer to your department's Policies and Procedures (agreed by Top Management, presumably) - and also that of Supplies. And also, if necessary, your own job description.

And (lastly), ask them what is to take priority:- fixing the kit (adding in a few nice examples, of course), or ordering the bed-sheets? In other words, just throw it all back at them.

On another tack:- as you know, Bong, various classification systems exist and are well-known.

So, why not suggest that the laundry staff (manager), CSSD staff (manager), theatre staff et al inventory and classify their own stuff? And, indeed, procure it when necessary, as well.

To be honest, after all this time (since your hospital was commissioned) I find it hard to imagine that classifying everything on the inventory has not already been done.

I'm pretty sure it would have been right at the beginning ... so I'm wondering why it hasn't simply been carried on (although no doubt I could hazard a guess).

bong,
You need to decide where the "instrument curator" function in your hospital lies.
These are the guys who would traditionally look after this type of kit.
Depending on the organisation it may lie with CSSD / TSSU, EMBE, Estates. Or be managed from outside.
Get that sorted and it will sort who looks after the kit. That said if nobody currently has the responsibility then you will need to argue that you dont have time to do it and evidence why (workload etc).
Its hard to argue the financial : time ratio on these items as for example if its a chest retractor that costs a couple of hundred and you need to open someones chest today then its the most important bit of kit regardless of cost : time. Unless you have a job thats s o important on thats it negates the need to help the chest patient.
If they are already giving money to someone else then that budget needs transferring to EMBE if you can get out of doing it.
Dont know what you financial situation is but doing more with the same or less is the current methodology here.

I think this best sits with CSSD/HSDU, they are rsponsible for reprocessing, inspecting and function testing the instruments prior to issue for reuse. They also hold budgets for repairs or replacements.

I think it makes no sense for Biomeds to do this.
The essential function of a Biomed Dept is to acquire and look after complex medical equipment, and the staff are trained accordingly. It is a waste of skilled time to purchase this stuff, and a waste of database space if they want you to asset control a pair of forceps the same way you do a ventilator.

Whereas the essential function of a Medical Supplies is to buy goods used regularly in large volumes, so even if these things aren't disposable, it falls within their remit. We categorise such things as 'non-disposable consumables'. Some things may last weeks, others go on for years, but the principle is the same. Ward areas can maintain their their own stocks, Supplies can buy it in as requested.

You tell 'em, Bongski!

I suspect that Bong is suffering under what we used to call "the burden of competence".

With rapidly expanding populations to keep happy, "developing countries" ("emerging nations", whatever)* are usually under great political pressure to provide employment for indigenous folk.

So Government Institutions (with hospitals being a prime example) become increasingly (over-)staffed by "locals". Whether they are up to scratch matters far less (if at all) than who they actually are (nationality, family or tribal connections ... etc.). Fair enough, you might say ... but what happens if (when) the performance of whole departments end up falling short for whatever reason?

Well (as we have seen in the example Bong has outlined - and from my own experiences, and those of others) "they" cast around trying to find competent hands in which to dump some (or even, in extreme cases, all) of their responsibilities.

Just a bit of "background", folks.

* At what stage do they become "developed" (or when can we expect them to "emerge") ... or is this a permanent state of affairs; a position assumed (or claimed) relative to other countries?

Hey Bong! I was just looking up a reference from the Distant Past and came across this (from something I wrote 25 years ago); for some reason I thought of your situation!


Another one that I used to use was:-

"yes, and we can drive as well; but we're not employed as drivers"!