Medical Equipment Donations to Low Resource Settings

Navigate the pitfalls of planning and organising donations of medical equipment

Unavailability of essential clinical equipment can be a serious problem in low-resource settings.

Whilst medical equipment donations can play a critical role in filling gaps, without careful planning, donations can fail and even become a burden on the receiving institution.

On this course, developed in collaboration with the Tropical Health Education Trust (THET), you‘ll learn best practices in planning a donation of medical equipment to a low-resource setting.

You’ll discover how to decide what to donate to have the greatest long-term impact, how to ensure your donation will be sustainable, and the key pitfalls to consider.

Get practical advice on shipping, costs, and funding

Using case studies of successful donations in different contexts, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss and develop your ideas with other learners.

You’ll also cover organisational issues like deciding on where to buy the equipment, shipping, customs, and costs to budget for.

Does this course feature coronavirus-specific advice for clinicians?

Yes. At the end of the course, you’ll be introduced to funding schemes that you can apply to today and specific reference will be made to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the challenge of sourcing high-quality Personal Protective Equipment during this time.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals – including medical students – considering donations of medical equipment to low-resource healthcare settings.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals – including medical students – considering donations of medical equipment to low-resource healthcare settings.

• Identify important stakeholders and other resources to consult when planning a donation of medical equipment.
• Describe the different steps in the medical equipment lifecycle, and consider what will be required at each stage to ensure the donation is both feasible and sustainable.
• Assess common risks and pitfalls that may threaten the success of a donation.
• Evaluate the different options available when sourcing equipment to donate, considering quality, the pros and cons and sustainability.
• Describe which costs to include when budgeting for the cost of a donation, and describe an example of how to structure a budget.
• Debate specific issues around the donation of equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the problem of counterfeit PPE.