1. Biomedical Engineering Technology Training in Zambia Name: Edward Tonkin, Chris Mol, Misheck Kasaro Organisation: Tropical Health and Education Trust Location: Lusaka, Zambia E-mail address for contact:edward@thet.org; chrismol@gmail.com; misheck.Kasaro@thet.orgedward@thet.orgchrismol@gmail.com; misheck.Kasaro@thet.org Success Stories Submitted by THET/BMET TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES1 April 2016

2. Country Estimates in Brief Population (2013)14.5 million 2 Population Growth Rate3.2 % 3 Life Expectancy at Birth (m/f)57 /60 years 2 Infant Mortality Rate75/1000 live births 1 Number of Health Facilities in Country6 main referral (tertiary) hospitals 4 103 other referral (General and District)hospitals 4 49 Urban Health Centres 4 1,131 Rural Health Centres 4 307 Health Posts 4 Health Facilities ownership1,590 health facilities are Government owned 4 116 facilities are mission owned 4, and 250 facilities are private owned 4 Total Expenditure on Health as % of GDP 5 % 2 THET/BMET TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES2 April 2016

3. Where it all started In 2011, a Needs Assessment on medical equipment situation in Zambia was executed by THET and findings were: Personnel Inadequate numbers of equipment maintenance personnel in the hospitals to manage and maintain the medical equipment; o Zambia is operating with about 35% of recommended maintenance staff. Inadequate equipment management capacity: o knowledge of how to plan and budget for devices, how to manage a maintenance programme, etc. Training None of the available maintenance staff had received specialised BME training prior to joining the Ministry of Health (MoH) No formal induction course for new recruits, or new/refresher training for current personnel No BMET training programme was being provided in-country Medical equipment It is estimated that between 35% and 50% of medical equipment is currently out of service. THET/BMET TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES3 April 2016

4. Where it all started – cont. Equipment Ecosystem Workshops inadequately equipped with the resources necessary to perform maintenance work. These resources include tools, test equipment, spare-parts, maintenance manuals, and adequate workbench, storage and training space: o There are 20 total biomedical workshops across the country, and only at level 2 and 3 hospitals. At district level, cold chain specialists are relied on to provide equipment maintenance services. Very little data is available on the state of medical equipment across the country, and there is no nationwide inventory. Health posts have, on average, about 40% of their required equipment on standard lists. Over 60% medical equipment in Zambia is over 10 years old. Much of the equipment not in use can be repaired very easily. THET/BMET TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES4 April 2016

5. Outcome The needs assessment / recommendation led to the following: Development of a 3 years and 3 months diploma course in biomedical engineering technology (BMET) in Zambia Identification of Northern Technical College (NORTEC) on the Copperbelt Province as the most suitable location in Zambia for this course. Created at NORTEC a ‘BMET Lab’; acquire toolboxes, test equipment and used medical equipment to enable the training. Designed, in partnership with Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA), a curriculum for the BMET diploma course. Hiring of lecturers from abroad to do the BMET specific lecturing. Facilitate/supporting in many practical ways the setting up of the new course. Liaise with MoH, key hospitals,….. THET/BMET TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES5 April 2016

6. Key Success factors THET sponsors (including UK’s DFID) provided funding for this purpose MoH/NORTEC/TEVETA excellent support for the project Successful commencement of BMET course in September 2013. Today we have BMET students in each of the years 1 to 3. Deputy Minister of Health successful graced the launch of the newly refurbished BMET Lab at NORTEC 5 students in year 3 class already have a function at MoH and are sponsored by MoH for this course. They will return to their hospitals. The first cohort of students is now in year 3, has finished its hospital attachment period and will do its final tests in December 2016. From student evaluation, it shows that the quality of the course is generally much appreciated. NORTEC BMET Students Year 1Year 2Year 3Total Males27311775 Females79420 TOTAL34402195 First cohort of students in year 3 in BMET Lab THET/BMET TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES6 April 2016

7. BMET Training Project Sustainability To be able to continue the BMET course after end of THET funding (end 2017) and the departure of foreign lecturers, the following measures have been adopted for Zambia to develop its own trainers: NORTEC/THET/TEVETA have set up a ‘train the trainer’ course at NORTEC through the development and accreditation of a fast-track ‘bridging’ course. 7 volunteer candidates, already lecturers in technical subjects at NORTEC, have been selected to follow the BMET bridging course at NORTEC, to be delivered by the current expat BMET lecturers. Plans are underway to forge institutional partnerships with South African training institutes for technical assistance and quality benchmarking. Locally identified talent currently offering training and on train the trainer course (“Fast Track” BMET Course) THET/BMET TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES7 April 2016

8. EN D THET/BMET TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES8 April 2016