Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, has highlighted that ineffective partnerships and insufficient training programs are significantly harming the maintenance of medical equipment and leading to its decline.
He expressed these concerns on Tuesday while inaugurating a five-day workshop designed to enhance the competencies of biomedical engineers in Abuja.
During the event, which he was represented at by his Special Assistant, Babatunde Akinyemi, Salako indicated that this initiative was a collaboration between the Ministry of Health, Healthy Living Communications Ltd, and the College of Biomedical Engineering and Technology.
He emphasized that this workshop demonstrates the government’s role in promoting strong alliances and upgrading technical skills in health maintenance.
Salako asserted that biomedical engineers play a crucial role in ensuring that medical equipment used for diagnosis, treatment, and patient monitoring remains functional. This role was particularly underscored during and after the COVID-19 crisis, where it became evident that even advanced medical technologies could become ineffective if not managed properly.
He elaborated on the goals of the workshop, stating that it aims to refresh the skills of engineers and better prepare them to manage health assets as Nigeria expands its healthcare infrastructure. Salako mentioned several ongoing initiatives aimed at upgrading biomedical engineering education, retraining staff, developing a national maintenance framework, and conducting audits of high-value medical equipment.
“These efforts will be part of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which aims to enhance infrastructure, digitization, and workforce capability,” he noted.
Participants are expected to learn the necessary skills to maintain critical equipment and to return to their institutions as agents of change capable of minimizing downtime.
He urged Chief Medical Directors and heads of biomedical units to propagate the knowledge acquired from the workshop to other technical staff within their facilities.
The Ministry, he promised, would continue to foster an environment conducive to aligning Nigeria's biomedical engineering practices with international standards.
Abisola Adegoke, the Director of Hospital Services, remarked that equipment efficacy is contingent upon proper installation, maintenance, and safeguarding. Adegoke, represented by Francisca Okafor, director of Regulatory School Division, added that the training aims to revive awareness among biomedical engineers about their essential roles.
“Equipment is only as productive as the professionals managing it,” she stated.
Adegoke also pointed out that government investments in modern healthcare technologies must coincide with robust technical expertise and ongoing maintenance strategies.
Awafung Adie, the chief trainer of the workshop, warned that the future of Nigeria's healthcare system largely hinges on the caliber of biomedical engineers being cultivated today. He stressed that biomedical personnel need to evolve from mere equipment repairers to becoming healthcare technology managers, innovators, and leaders.
Adie identified significant challenges, such as extended equipment downtimes, inadequate maintenance practices, insufficient manpower, and reliance on foreign technical support.
Emmanuel Oriakhi, CEO of Healthy Living Communications Ltd., shared that the concept for this training has been in the works for over a decade. During visits to healthcare facilities, he observed that many pieces of equipment were non-operational due to a lack of regular maintenance and failure to stay updated with current practices.
He underscored that biomedical professionals must consistently refine their skills to keep up with the ever-evolving landscape of medical technology.
Dominiek Viaene, CEO of PROTEX Healthcare, emphasized that the company has made significant investments in Nigeria aimed at improving maintenance standards and treatment outcomes. He highlighted differences in dialysis survival rates between Nigeria and Europe, despite the use of similar equipment and supplies.
He suggested there could be issues related to maintenance or procedural discrepancies. Furthermore, Viaene cautioned against unsafe practices, such as disabling safety detectors, which pose risks to patient safety.
He reaffirmed the company’s dedication to providing ongoing training and called for cooperation among government bodies, hospitals, and biomedical engineers to forge durable advancements within the health sector.
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