Need to change approach to maintaining medical equipment

Deputy Secretary of the Biotechnology Headquarters of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology stressed the need to change the approach to medical equipment maintenance, saying: We must examine how equipment maintenance can be turned into an economic model.

According to Ambassador Arjan, quoted by Webda, Mustafa Qanei, in the second meeting of medical equipment managers of universities of medical sciences across the country, which was held at the same time as the "Iranfashion 2026" exhibition in Shahr-Aftab, emphasized the need to move towards the smartening of medical equipment, the development of local technologies, and the reform of economic approaches in this area, creating added value and reducing currency exchange among the most important strategic goals of the country in the field of medical equipment.

Pointing to the importance of technology development in the medical equipment industry, he said: Technology must permeate the various layers of the health system and the production and supply chain of medical equipment so that the country does not lag behind technological developments. In this direction, while strengthening the internal capacity, the field for more effective presence of technological and knowledge-based companies in solving the real problems of the health system should be provided.

Development of economic models for maintaining and renovating medical equipment

Emphasizing the necessity of changing the approach to the maintenance of medical equipment, Qanei noted: We must examine how to turn equipment maintenance into an economical and sustainable model in order to reduce depreciation costs and make the most of the capacity of the existing equipment.

Referring to the experiences formed in some universities of medical sciences, including Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, in the field of equipment reconstruction and updating, he added: In this model, depreciated or out-of-service equipments return to the service cycle after carrying out technical measures and updating. In addition to reducing the costs of providing new equipment, this approach can provide the basis for the development of the activities of technology companies and the improvement of the country's technical capabilities.

The Secretary of the Biotechnology, Health and Medical Technologies Staff of the Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy stated: By designing a suitable economic model, the equipment in warehouses or unusable equipment, if technically and economically possible, can be renovated and updated and put back into the exploitation cycle.

Setting up smart dashboards for real-time monitoring of medical equipment

Referring to the need for health system managers to have access to accurate and up-to-date information on medical equipment, Qanei said: Currently, one of the management challenges in this field is the lack of integrated and instantaneous access to equipment performance information. In such a way that the managers of hospitals or universities of medical sciences may not have enough information about the exact status of activity, the level of operation or stoppage of some equipment.

He added: In order to effectively manage the equipment, it should be clear what condition each device is in, how much it has worked, when it is out of service, and what measures are required for its maintenance and repair. Without access to such information, accurate planning and economic decision-making in the field of medical equipment will be difficult.

The secretary of the bio-technology, health and medical technologies staff of the vice president's science, technology and knowledge-based economy, referring to the planning done for the development of medical equipment monitoring systems, said: it is decided to launch real-time monitoring dashboards for medical equipment by implementing a plan in three parts of the country, so that after evaluating the results, it will be possible to develop and implement it more widely in the country.

Emphasizing the importance of data-based management, he pointed out that monitoring equipment performance and access to their performance information can help identify unused capacities, improve maintenance and repair planning, and reduce equipment downtime costs.

Supporting domestic production with an emphasis on the depth of domestic manufacturing and technology transfer

In another part of his speech, Qanei emphasized the necessity of moving from the approach based solely on obtaining a production license, referring to the country's support policies for the domestic production of medical equipment.

The secretary of the bio-technology, health and medical technologies staff of the vice president's science, technology and knowledge-based economy said: supporting domestic production should lead to the creation of real added value, the development of technical knowledge and the increase of the depth of domestic production. Merely obtaining a production license does not mean achieving full technological capability, and it is necessary to consider the actual amount of internal manufacturing, technology level and product development capacity in the evaluation of producers.

He added: A distinction should be made between products whose major part of the production process is done inside and products that are mainly supplied through the assembly of imported parts, and government policy support should also be designed according to the depth of domestic manufacturing and the added value created.

Pointing to the possibility of using the purchasing capacity of universities of medical sciences to provide targeted support to domestic producers, Qanei stated: by formulating specific mechanisms, we can support more effectively the products that have the depth of domestic production and higher technological capability, and take advantage of the market capacity of the health system for the development of indigenous technologies.

Moving towards a positive trade balance in the medical equipment industry

The secretary of the bio-technology, health and medical technologies staff of the vice president's office for science, technology and knowledge-based economy further considered the development of exports and improving the trade balance of the medical equipment industry as one of the important goals of this field and stated: policy making in the field of medical equipment should be such that, in addition to meeting domestic needs, the field of increasing the competitiveness of Iranian companies in international markets is provided.

Referring to the experience of some countries in the division of industrial work and participation in global value chains, Qanei added: Achieving the ability to produce all the components of a medical device inside the country is not always the only path of industrial development. In some cases, it is possible to develop the production of certain parts or certain technologies internally by identifying the technological capacities of the country and negotiating with foreign partners, thereby participating in the international production and supply chain.

He emphasized: In technological interactions with other countries, in addition to providing the necessary equipment, attention should be paid to the transfer of technical knowledge, the development of domestic production capacity, and the creation of added value in the country. Such an approach can help to reduce foreign exchange dependence and strengthen the position of Iran's medical equipment industry.

The necessity of an integrated policy in the field of medical equipment

Emphasizing that the sustainable solution to the challenges of the field of medical equipment requires decision-making at the macro level of the country, Qanei noted: Although executive measures in universities of medical sciences and medical centers are very important, to solve the root problems of this field, the policies of production, import, maintenance, technology development and international interactions must be followed in a coordinated manner.

The Secretary of the Biotechnology, Health and Medical Technologies Staff of the Presidential Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy added: Moving towards the intelligentization of equipment, development of economic maintenance models, targeted support for domestic production and the creation of an effective link between the medical equipment market and technology transfer, can provide the basis for improving the country's technological power and the sustainable development of the medical equipment industry, while reducing costs and exchange rates.

In the end, Ghanei emphasized: the future of the country's medical equipment industry depends on consistent decisions, supporting value-added technologies and intelligently using the capacity of the domestic market to develop production and export capacity.