May 28, 2010

The first session of the Engineering World Health Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET) training program came to a close in Rwanda on May 14, and the 16 students participated in a detailed introduction to proper equipment repair from Billy Teninty, EWH BMET Coordinator. This is the first of six two-month training sessions that the students will receive. They have now returned to work in their local hospitals for four months to apply their newly acquired skills before returning to Kigali Health Institute for the second session in mid-September. After three years, the students will have completed the coursework, including the on-the-job experience between training sessions, and they will be certified biomedical equipment technicians. A new class of 15-20 students will be admitted to the program each year. This program is made possible by funding from the GE Foundation.

The New Times, Rwanda’s daily English newspaper, was on hand to report on the first session’s closing day on May 14. The students each received acknowledgement of their work and a certification of the completion of the first session’s material (top and middle photos). Martin Manzi, Director General of Rwanda’s Central Workshop of Maintenance, commented on the importance of having a training program in country. Previously, the nearest BMET training program had been in Ghana. “We are glad that it is now possible to have the technicians trained locally because maintenance of equipment at health facilities is a challenge in many countries,” Mr. Manzi told the New Times.

On May 4 one of the BMET students, Normand Mbarushimana, reported his successful troubleshooting efforts at Kibuye District Hospital to the class (bottom photo). The hospital had received a new oxygen concentrator which didn't work properly, and the administrators called on Normand to fix it for them over the weekend while he was attending class. Normand took his classmates step by step through his troubleshooting procedure which led him to a leak at the input to the sieve beds. Bingo! After repairing the unit, it was immediately put to service providing oxygen to a patient at Kibuye Hospital.

Students have been able to have an immediate impact on medical equipment repair after returning to their hospitals two weeks ago. Billy has been hearing word of successful repairs taking place in Rwanda, such as Jean-Luc Mpamije, who emailed to report on a repaired pulse oximeter at Butaro District Hospital.

Billy says he is very proud of the success he has seen in his past BMET training programs conducted in countries including Ghana, Honduras, the Philippines, and Kosovo. As far as five to ten years after the completion of these programs, “I have been fortunate enough to check back in with our students at these hospitals to find that about 80% of the technicians we have trained in this and similar programs are still actively participating in vital equipment repair.” Medical equipment repair and maintenance performed by these technicians is essential for the proper function of the health care systems in their countries.