The Role Of Medical Supply In Soundness Of Health System

By Eugenia Dickerson


Most of the items used in the provision of health services are usually not durable. The majority of them gets disposed after use and cannot be shared between patients. In fact, a single patient may not use some of them repetitively. This is the description of materials in category of medical supply. Most of them are prescribed or ordered by the physicians for their own use or for betterment of the health of the patient.

Their use is also limited to single users as there is no sharing and individuals may not use them in a repetitive manner. Others consider those products that can affect the health status of a patient either positively or negatively.

For obvious reasons, the materials in the category of medical supply must be given serious considerations and priority by all sectors that are concerned. One major reason is because of the role these materials have in patient health.

The choices that are made in medical facilities today in regard to these materials are known to work for healthcare improvement. This is however not the case in all the situations. There are those choices when it comes to procurement of these essential materials that ends up regrettable. A number of these materials or equipment may end up being defective with high chances of spreading infections or worsening the health status of patients.

Health acquired conditions is a category of any form of ailment, injury or infection acquired by a patient under health facility care. In other words, a patient who comes to seek treatment for something unrelated acquires a new condition in the process of treatment. Falling and breaking a bone or two in the medical facility is an example. Other common infections and conditions that are easily acquired in this manner includes urinary tract infections associated with catheter, blood infections associated with central line, ventilator related pneumonia and even pressure ulcers among many others.

Such infections and injuries are not limited to the patients only, healthcare providers and their support staff too becomes victims when using defective utilities. There are reports where physicians get injured and sometimes infected with life threatening diseases when administering treatment. The cleaners too handle sharp objects and other infected materials.

Thanks to technology, most of the supplies in the hospitals today are usually of the required standard. Stringent measures are put in place in the manufacturing process with quality assessment at various levels to assure that only top quality products reach health facilities.

For the effectiveness and safety of medical supply, all the industry players have a responsibility. From the manufacturers, suppliers and other dealers to store keepers and the eventual users, all have a responsibly to play. The regulatory bodies too must keep their rules tight to ensure that the general public remains safe.




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