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.

In most of the health journals, medical supply is agreed to consist of health utilities that do not last long by nature. They are either disposed after a single use or expires after a short duration. It is a category of materials that physicians usually order or prescribe for a patient and cannot be shared. Their use cannot be in absence of injury or illness and are the primary health equipment and medicines. They are meant to influence the health of the patient in a positive manner but can also do the exact opposite, for this reason, most of them are not usable in a repetitive manner.

For this reason therefore, proper consideration must always be given in procurement and handling these essential utilities. They play a primary role in the health of both the patients and the health providers. The support staff in health facilities is too must be protected from defective equipment.

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 are for instance the injuries sustained, infections or illness that are associated with the health facility. A patient get injured or infected when seeking better health. The result is that there is an additional financial burden, longer hospital stay in hospitals or even permanent deformity or death from these infections or injuries. Effective and safer medical supply contributes immensely in eliminating such unprecedented and unexpected medical conditions.

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.

Technology plays a major role in reducing risks associated with this kind of supply. In addition to continuous monitoring the use and effectiveness, the technology has been able qualify and disqualify the supplies in the health sector. The physicians are able to react on time to save situation and prevent unintended infections, injuries or worsening of a particular condition.

The success of the health sector however lies in the continuous provision of effective and efficient medical supply equipment and other utilities. The success of these requires effort from all the players in the industry from the manufacturers, suppliers, distributors to store keepers and the actual users. All must put in necessary measures to provide safe utilities and sacrifice profits for ethics as these utilities means life. The government through laws and regulations must also play their part effectively in protecting the life and health of their citizens.




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