Dispatch of Health and Medical Experts to Moldova: Toward the development of a system to maintain and manage medical equipment – also contributing to support for displaced people in Ukraine

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) started dispatching an expert (Mr. Yosuke Umemiya of Fujita Planning Inc.) to the Republic of Moldova, a neighbor of Ukraine, on July 10 under the technical cooperation program “Capacity Enhancement of Medical Equipment Maintenance and Management”.

Since 1998, JICA has provided medical equipment to Moldova three times through grant aid and grant aid, and has also implemented a technical cooperation “Medical Equipment Maintenance and Management Improvement Project” with the aim of establishing an efficient medical equipment management system. As a result of this cooperation, the position of biomedical engineer, who operates and maintains medical equipment, was newly created in Moldova, and a “medical equipment management department” has been established mainly in the core hospital in the capital city.

On the other hand, the spread of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has increased the need to strengthen the maintenance and management system for medical equipment, including in rural areas, as various international cooperative organizations have provided medical equipment to deal with COVID-19.

In light of this situation, JICA will dispatch experts about 8 times by 2024, following this first round of dispatches, to support the development of guidelines for medical equipment management and the establishment of a continuous training program for biomedical engineers and other professionals through collaboration with the Moldovan Ministry of Health, the Medical Engineering Center of the Technical University of Moldova, and five core hospitals in the capital. The program will support the development of guidelines for the management of medical equipment and the establishment of ongoing training programs for biomedical engineers and other professionals. Through these efforts, the project aims to strengthen the capacity of the entire country to maintain and manage medical equipment, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of medical services.

© Source JICA

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