The Unrecognized Value of Bio-Medical Engineers in Healthcare Projects in Developing Countries

Abstract

The healthcare needs of developing countries are great and ever increasing as their populations grow. Few assistance programs have recognized the value of the bio-medical engineer as part of the approach to the provision of healthcare in developing countries. An example of a program, the Bach Mai Hospital Project, in Vietnam, utilizing the talents of the bio-medical engineer, attests to the potential value of bio-medical engineers as part of the healthcare team. Their inclusion in such efforts can result in the saving of lives, time and money. Knowledge of their hospital's excess equipment inventory and their ability to restore medical equipment badly needed in a developing country makes them valuable additions to any medical assistance program.