Five Hospitals to Benefit from 3.1b Br Equipment Purchase

The Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Fund & Supply Agency (PFSA) has acquired Hi Tech medical equipment for 3.1 billion Br to be distributed to five hospitals across Ethiopia.

The equipment includes – Computed Tomography (CT) scanners, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) machines, Radiant Warmers, anesthesia machines and endoscopy machines. There is also a set to be used for kidney transplants, including operation tables, Harmonic generators, kidney refrigerators and digital X-rays. This equipment will go to the Black Lion Hospital, St Paul Hospital, Jimma University Specialised Hospital, University of Gondar Hospital and Hawassa University Hospital, as soon as the they finish preparing for installation.

Ninety-five percent of the fund was availed by the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Achievement Fund, Global Fund and The World Bank, said Ashenafi Husine (ENG), head of provisional Directorate for Medical Device Supply & Utilisation Follow-Up. The procurement was made from the United States, China, Latin America and Europe.

“Preparation of space for the machines is completed and we are expecting delivery in the near future,” said Desalegn Tigabu (Dr), CEO of the University of Gondar Hospital.

The place for the MRI machines needs to be totally free of metal as it works with high magnetic force.

The CT scan, much like an X-ray machine, requires a room that will not allow the rays to escape.

The Gonder University Hospital is looking forward to using the machines for the treatment of its patients and training of its students, according to Desalegn, including the four to six radiology students it takes annually.

All medical supplies that are imported to Ethiopia get approval based on lists at the Ethiopian Food, Medicine & Health Care Administration & Control Authority (FMHACA) or, where the Authority does not have an items on its list, it consults the lists of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the USFood and Drug Administration (FDA). The FMHACA controls medicines and medical equipments before and during purchase, and at the time of delivery and after delivery.

The PFSA buys, distributes and installs medicines and medical equipment to governmental hospitals and health centres. The office also requests the FMHACA for medicines to be included on the national drug list.