The repair and maintenance of ophthalmic equipment, including surgical instruments and diagnostic devices, can be compared to the maintenance of a motor vehicle, something many of us understand well.
If you had a car, would you drive it until the fuel runs out or until a tyre punctures, and then abandon it to buy a new car? Of course not. However, many eye care units purchase (or receive as a donation) expensive and delicate equipment which, because of poor maintenance, ends up breaking down. If there is not a system in place to report breakdowns and to plan or carry out repairs, equipment can remain unusable for long periods of time. Sometimes, this equipment ends up being
dumped
Good maintenance habits and an effective repair system will minimise the amount of time equipment is unusable.
Who does what?
In our experience, approximately one-third of problems reported with ophthalmic equipment arise from problems caused by the user, one-third from easy-to-solve technical problems (such as a blown bulb or fuse, or a loose power cord), and only one-third require more serious fault-finding procedures and special knowledge of the equipment. Equipment users therefore have a significant role to play in the everyday care and maintenance of equipment.
Usually, a well-balanced mix of user, in-house, and outsourced maintenance and repair leads to the best results - both technical and financial - in settings with limited resources. If it is not feasible for an eye care unit to have an in-house equipment maintenance and repair team, you may consider sharing such a service among several units. Depending on the equipment, you may have a service contract with the vendor or manufacturer, who will be responsible for more complex maintenance and repairs. These will be carried out by specialised maintenance and repair personnel, either employed by the vendor or manufacturer, or working as independent maintenance contractors. Whatever system your eye unit has in place, the maintenance and repair of equipment should be centrally managed. The person responsible (the ‘equipment person or technical expert’) will assign tasks, keep maintenance and repair records, design maintenance schedules, and arrange the necessary training of staff.
