By Jones Anlimah
Health facilities in the Volta Region are set to experience improved medical equipment repair, maintenance, and management following the operationalisation of a newly remodeled Regional Clinical Engineering Unit supported by the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH).
The facility, located at Ho, the Volta Regional capital, has been equipped with modern diagnostic analysers and tools to support the servicing, calibration, and preventive maintenance of hospital-level biomedical equipment across the region.
At a stakeholder engagement to showcase the unit, the Regional Research Officer and KOFIH Volta Regional Project Coordinator, Mr. Adams Agbeko, said the intervention addresses persistent challenges associated with equipment breakdowns and limited technical capacity within health facilities.
According to him, many hospitals in the region rely on a small number of biomedical engineers and technicians, often resulting in prolonged equipment downtime and disrupted service delivery.
“This facility comes in to support the region in maintaining medical equipment and improving uptime, so that equipment at the facility level is available for service provision,” Mr. Agbeko explained.
He noted that beyond the physical infrastructure, the project also supports capacity building for technicians and engineers, while introducing a structured system for preventive maintenance and performance monitoring.
As part of the project’s operational research component, baseline data on equipment functionality was collected prior to commissioning the unit. Post-commissioning, quarterly assessments are being conducted in selected facilities, including Peki Government Hospital, Adidome Government Hospital, Sogakope, Keta, Ketu South and Ho, to measure improvements in equipment uptime. The assessment is expected to run until mid-2026.
Mr. Agbeko said the data will help determine the impact of the intervention on medical equipment management in the region and guide future policy decisions.
The Deputy Director in charge of Human Resource at the Volta Regional Health Directorate, Mr Owusu Afriyie, explained that the Biomedical Engineering Unit was deliberately sited at Ho to ensure all health facilities in the region have equal access to repair and maintenance services.
“Placing the unit here makes it easier for facilities across the region to benefit from equipment repair and maintenance support,” he noted.
Hospital administrators present described the facility as a critical intervention for improving healthcare quality. Administrator of Mater Ecclesiae Catholic Hospital, Sister Evelyn Claudia Afriyie, said the availability of reliable maintenance services will ensure that faulty equipment is identified and repaired before use on patients.
“Now we can be sure that the equipment we use on clients is serviced and functional, which improves the quality of care,” she said.
The Hospital Administrator of the Volta Regional Hospital, Mr. Divine Kwashieke, said effective equipment maintenance is central to patient safety and cost control.
“Planned preventive maintenance will extend the lifespan of equipment, reduce repair costs and ensure hospitals have functional equipment at all times,” he stated.
He added that the unit will help reduce reliance on private repair services and will position the Volta Region as one of the few regions with a structured biomedical equipment maintenance system.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that the KOFIH-supported facility will significantly improve the management of medical equipment and enhance healthcare delivery across the Volta Region.
