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Modern medical practice uses technology liberally, and you
may need to buy quite a lot of medical equipment, depending
upon your area of specialisation. Since this equipment can
be quite expensive, it is important that you have a system
to maximize the cost-effectiveness of the equipment you purchase.
You are likely to be faced with lots of options, including:
What to buy ? When to buy ? New ? Second hand ? How to raise
the money ? Buy ? Rent ? Lease ? Imported ? Indian ? and you
must do your research well. Don't buy a major equipment item
without a cost-benefit analysis. You'll need to make assumptions
about anticipated patient load and the cost of delivering
the service, but don't shy away from the work.
Uptil now, most medical equipment needed to be imported and
doctors were forced to buy what was available. After sales
service was usually poor and doctors often smuggled in medical
equipment, to save customs duty. Today, however, the situation
is much better. Medical equipment manufacturers have realized
that India is a huge market, and most have distributors in
India today, so that doctors can pick and choose. In a buyer’s
market, you must demand excellent customer service –
remember that your patient’s life can depend upon it.
Cost out the equipment you need and develop a list
of priorities. The most essential items must head
the list followed by the equipment you will want
to add as your income becomes more supportive of
the practice. Shop around ! It is a good idea to
compare prices from local sources as well as national
companies, in order to establish which firms are
the most competitive. You may be swamped initially
with brochures of equipment, followed by frequent
calls from representatives and medical suppliers,
hoping to sell their company's products. These representatives
provide an important and valuable service since
they will keep you informed of what is new on the
market and give you some research statistics which
will back up their product's claims . They will
also educate you about their competitor’s
drawbacks and limitations !
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Articles in medical journals can provide valuable information
on the newest trends in technology. Most manufacturers have
their own websites as well, which are packed with information.
Medical conferences also usually exhibit medical equipment,
and visiting these exhibitions is a good way of seeing a lot
of the competing products at one time, and will allow you
to compare features and prices with ease.
Bank loans are usually easily available to help you finance
your purchases; and options include leasing it. Often the
manufacturer will help you arrange for financing as well.
In order to make your purchase cost-effective you will need
to let your patients and referring colleagues know about the
special features of the new equipment you have bought, and
how it can help them. Being the first doctor in the region
to buy the newest technological advance can help get you considerable
publicity, thus helping you to promote your practice. However,
remember that newer is not always better – and a number
of doctors have wasted lakhs of rupees on buying equipment
which either did not work properly, or did not perform as
promised.
For expensive equipment, you may want to use “
requests for proposals “ or tenders, in which
you can invite competing vendors to bid against
each other. Try to seek at least two competitive
bids using the same specifications; and let vendors
know they are competing on price and value. Unfortunately,
the medical equipment industry in India is still
not doctor-friendly, so while supplies will promise
you the earth when selling the equipment, their
after-sales service will often leave a lot to be
desired. If you want to avoid having your fingers
burnt, don’t buy the cheapest equipment available
– this may actually turn out to be much more
expensive in the long run ! Check out the track
record of the supplier and ask for a client list,
so you can interview doctors who have bought equipment
from them in the past.
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If you are planning to buy expensive equipment, insist that
the manufacturer let you try it out in your clinic for some
time. What may perform extremely well in another doctor’s
hands may not be the best piece of equipment for you ! While
it’s not always necessary to buy new equipment, specially
when finances are limited, you must take care to ensure that
any second-hand items are sound.
Service is vitally important. Make sure the length and coverage
of the warranty is clear, and whether this is comprehensive
( includes both labour and spare parts) and on-site ( or do
you have to take the equipment to the manufacturer ?) Read
the fine print carefully ! Good companies should be able to
offer a 24-hour service. A friendly service engineer who comes
promptly can save your practice time and money. Preventive
maintenance done on a regular basis can help to prevent expensive
breakdowns. Good companies must be able to provide replacements
in an emergency, if yours is being repaired. An annual maintenance
contract will ensure that the equipment is maintained in an
optimal condition for its lifetime and is very valuable for
your peace of mind – don’t scrimp on it ! Keep
a log book, which describes the history of the machine; the
problems it had; when it was serviced; and when the next servicing
is due. It’s also a good idea to insure expensive equipment
- this is very cost-effective. Technology changes so rapidly
these days, that you may soon find that your equipment has
become obsolete. Try to buy machines which are modular and
upgradeable, so that you remain state of the art. You
may also find it worthwhile to sell your old equipment to
doctors in smaller towns when you need to buy a new model.
A good supplier will be willing to buy-back your old equipment,
when you plan to upgrade to the newer model.
When you buy medical equipment, make sure that you
also get the training needed to use it properly
! For very expensive equipment, companies may be
willing to send you abroad for advanced training,
and you should explore this possibility to ensure
you are comfortable with the new technology. Make
sure at least one member of your staff knows how
to operate the equipment. Investing in high
quality equipment is one of the most important
investments you can make in improving the quality
of the medical care you provide – spend
your money with care !
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