The biomedical engineering department plays an important role in hospitals by managing medical equipment, ensuring safety and proper operation, and providing technical support. Key responsibilities include purchasing, maintaining, and repairing devices; training medical staff; investigating safety issues; and recommending new equipment acquisitions. The department aims to keep all medical equipment functioning optimally through activities such as preventative maintenance, calibration, and managing equipment records.

1. ROLE OF BIOMEDICAL
DEPARTMENT IN A HOSPITAL
PREPARED AND PRESENTED BY
SACHIN KALE
GENERAL MANAGER – OPERATIONS
BHANDARI GROUP OF HOSPITALS AND INSTITUTIONS, INDORE

2. Clinical or Biomedical engineering is one of the latest & most dynamic programmes in
hospital.
In today’s high technology environment with a proliferation of advanced & complex
medical equipment, clinical engineering has assumed great significance.
The aim of biomedical engineering programme is to provide technical expertise &
management support to hospital administration, engineering department & the
medical staff.

3.  Purchase of equipment’s (which includes inviting quotations/tenders for purchasing new
equipment’s/machines & preparing comparison chart for the same). They may have direct or indirect
roles as per the organization.
 Writing specifications for all the new equipment’s & machinery.
 Evaluating the equipment &machinery on the basis of its initial cost as well as its operating cost, since
many times, the high maintenance & operating cost of the equipment turns out to be much higher than
the initial cost.
 Inspection of incoming equipment & machinery and doing pre-acceptance checks before official
acceptance & payment.
 Maintaining records; for e.g. equipment history.
 Setting standards & ensuring their compliance.
 Maintaining the equipment to the best of its performance by organizing a planned maintenance
program for all equipment’s and attending to emergency breakdowns and repairs.

4.  Arranging for training programs for personnel in clinical engineering department as well as the end
users.
 Advising & providing expertise to the medical staff & administration.
 Maintaining equipment inventory for all existing & incoming equipment’s.
 Active involvement in the activities of the hospital’s safety committee & checking safety hazards.
Monitoring contract services viz. A.M.C. and C.M.C.
 Keeping record of the Spares/consumable items.

5. Expectation of patients
Expectation of Doctors/Nurses/Technicians
Expectation of Management
Expectation of Regulatory Authorities

7.  Job title
 Job Summary
 Duties

8.  Job title:
Biomedical Equipment Engineer(BME)
 Job summary:
 Biomedical equipment Engineer (BME) is responsible for Installation, preventive maintenance,
Inspection, calibration, and repair of biomedical equipment.
 The BME is also responsible for ensuring the safe and proper operation of biomedical equipment by
medical staff.
 The BME has a working knowledge of how the various biomedical equipment functions both
electronically and physiologically, the safety parameters for each piece of equipment, the safe and
proper operation of equipment, and the maintenance and repair equipment.

9.  Maintenance
The biomedical Equipment Engineer is responsible for the following maintenance function:
 Development and maintenance of an inventory of all biomedical equipment. The BME should update
inventory as equipment enters and exit the hospital or clinic.
 Installation of new equipment promptly. The BME should coordinate with the equipment
purchasing/donations department and the hospital wing receiving the equipment to schedule
installations.
 Calibration of equipment on routine schedule. The BME should maintain a history of calibrated
equipment and a schedule for future calibrations.
 Inspection of equipment on routine schedule. The BME should maintain a history of equipment
maintenance and schedule for maintenance procedures.
 Maintaining inventory and stock of spare parts for mission critical biomedical equipment. The BMET
should determine the spare parts necessary to maintain and repair essential equipment and order
these spare parts to keep in stock.

10.  Proper Operation:
The biomedical equipment technician is responsible for the proper operation of medical devices by:
 Training and Education
 The BME should instruct appropriate staff on the proper operation of biomedical equipment following
installation and repair.
 The BME should coordinate trainings on how operate specific devices where there is consistent
improper use.
 The BME should assist in training new staff on how to operate biomedical equipment, if necessary.

11.  Safety
In addition to proper maintenance and proper operation duties, the Biomedical Equipment Engineer is
responsible for the safety of biomedical equipment usage by:
 Investigating biomedical involved in the death/life threatening to the patient.
 The BME should determine the cause of incident.
 The BME should repair to prevent future problems, if possible.
 The BME should deem the equipment hazardous and remove it from use if the equipment cannot be
repaired.
 Participating on the hospital’s safety committee. The BME should be aware devices carrying a greater
risk due to device or user error and make recommendation based on their research and knowledge of
biomedical equipment for the safety the patients.

12.  Recommendations:
The biomedical equipment Engineer will be responsible for the hospital’s biomedical equipments
inventory by:
 Recommending which devices should be acquired and discontinued based on:
o Experience with existing biomedical equipment.
o Inventory of biomedical equipment throughout the hospital.
o The needs of each hospital wing to function properly.

13. Customer Services:
The biomedical Equipment Technician will be responsible for the interacting with hospital staff in
addition to biomedical equipment. The BMET is expected to:
o Answer the phone and/or reply to emails quickly and professionally.
o Respond to maintenance requests first by importance level and second by the order the request was
received.
o Follow up with the doctor, nurses, or staff member to ensure satisfaction with repair.

14. Biomedical engineer design products and procedures that solve
medical problems.
This can include researching, designing and developing medical
products, for Hospitals with special needs in a rehabilitation setting,
or managing the use of clinical equipment in hospitals and the
community.
Biomedical engineers use their knowledge of engineering, medicine,
and biology to develop solutions to medical problems or procedures.

15. • Discussing and solving problems with manufacturing, quality, purchasing and marketing departments;
• Assessing the potential wider market for products or modifications suggested by health professionals or
others;
• Arranging clinical trials of medical products;
• Approaching marketing and other industry companies to sell the product;
• Writing reports and attending conferences and exhibitions to present your work and latest designs to a
range of technical and non-technical audiences;
• Meeting with senior health service staff or other managers to exchange findings;
• Dealing with technical queries from hospitals and GPs and giving advice on new equipment;
• Testing and maintaining clinical equipment;
• Training technical or clinical staff;
• Investigating safety-related incidents;
• Keeping up to date with new developments in the field, nationally and internationally.

16.  Availability of documented manual for Quality Assurance for Engineering services
 A Procedure for detecting/reporting defects and their repair /maintenance with
minimum down time.
 Documented system of Planned Preventive Maintenance
 Documented check list of all legal compliances
 Organization has comprehensive equipment management programme and system of
equipment audit.
 Documented Updated inventory of all the equipment
 Laid down policy for storing of spare parts

17.  Maintenance plan for ensuring safety of environment and facilities
 Standardized system for registration of complaint.
 Responsibility for maintenance being specified in writing to specific staff
 Record of breakdown of complaints
 Periodic Inspection and calibration of equipment
 Identification and documentation of all possible hazards and plan for prevention,
monitoring and combating hazards.
 Documented programme for continuous on job as wells as training of staff and record
maintained.
 Renewal of Insurance and Maintenance contracts.

18. Master List
Work Order
Weekly Check list
52 week preventive maintenance plan schedule
Preventive maintenance Monthly Check list
History card

19.  Equipment History Record.
 Equipment uptime and down time record.
 AMC record.
 Calibration record.
 Oxygen Cylinder log book.