Assessment of Perioperative Biomedical Equipment Availability, Functionality, and Management Practices Across Rwanda: A Cross-sectional Observational Study

Effective management of biomedical equipment prevents breakdowns, extends equipment lifespan, ensures perioperative safety and cost-efficiency. There are major challenges in managing biomedical equipment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess the availability, functionality, and adherence to maintenance practices of biomedical equipment in operating rooms (ORs) and post-anaesthesia care units (PACUs) across Rwanda. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at one Level 2 district hospital in each of Rwanda’s five provinces (n=5 sites). Data were collected using three main tools: 1) a medical equipment checklist, 2) a checklist for hospital biomedical management, and 3) direct inspections of selected biomedical equipment. All tools underwent pretesting and face validation with support from biomedical experts prior to data collection in May 2024. Key measures, including the availability and functionality of biomedical equipment, and adherence to maintenance and management practices, were summarised using descriptive statistics. The five hospitals had a total of 16 ORs, 4 PACUs, and 226 pieces of equipment. The overall availability of biomedical equipment was 45%, and the functionality of the available equipment was 96%. The mean adherence rate to national management practices was 66%. The Rwandan government, non-governmental organisations, and hospitals were identified as direct funders of the equipment, accounting for 42%, 12%, and 4%, respectively. However, 42% of the equipment surveyed could not be linked to any of the above sources of acquisition. Among non-functional equipment, 75% was due to a lack of spare parts, while 25% was due to a lack of skills to maintain the equipment. In summary, we found low availability of perioperative biomedical equipment across Rwanda, although the available equipment was highly functional. Adherence to national management practice guidelines was relatively low, threatening the sustainability of functional equipment. We recommend that the government and hospital administrators implement robust, regular auditing systems to ensure proper management of biomedical equipment.