THE sharing of medical equipment between units at Labasa Hospital comes with the risk of equipment being damaged or parts going missing, according to a health worker.
Nurse Mariamma Sheromani said equipment had to be moved between units when one area required an item that was available elsewhere.
“The equipment can get damaged while handling, you know, like taking from one department to another,” she said.
Ms Sheromani said parts of equipment could also go missing during the sharing process.
“Parts missing, like wires could go missing.”
Improper use of equipment was another concern.
Senior medical officer Nilsen Ingrid said the problem was not limited to damage or missing components because equipment could also be unavailable when urgently required.
“Sometimes, when we need the equipment, it’s being borrowed and being used somewhere, so we cannot get it back when it’s already on a patient,” she said.
Dr Ingrid said the paediatric department shared equipment between units, including equipment used for newborns.
“An equipment may be borrowed from another unit when a child requires it. The equipment is returned once the patient no longer needs it. However, this system means staff may have to wait when equipment is already being used elsewhere.”
She described the problems associated with sharing equipment as one of the biggest challenges faced by staff.
The concerns come as the department manages children with a range of medical needs, including newborns requiring specialised care.
