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Why Medical Equipment Can Sit Unused in Hospitals

Afifa Rehman·Oct 28, 2026

In lower resource settings, a hospital can acquire advanced equipment such as an ultrasound machine, patient monitor, or laboratory analyzer, only to find that it cannot be used. Incomplete sets, unreliable electricity, and limited staff training can leave expensive equipment idle.

Hospitals acquiring medical technology must also consider the infrastructure, supplies, and expertise needed to operate and maintain it.

Medical Equipment Must Suit the Setting

Medical equipment should be chosen based on a hospital’s needs and its ability to operate and maintain the technology.

A study of medical device donations at 23 healthcare sites in Ghana documented obsolete, redundant, and electrically incompatible equipment. Staff also described devices they could not operate because they had not received adequate training. The findings show why hospitals and donors need to assess clinical needs, infrastructure, training, maintenance, and access to replacement parts before equipment is purchased or donated. Without that planning, even functional technology may go unused.

Read the study

The Ongoing Costs of Medical Equipment

Purchasing a medical device is rarely the end of the cost. Many devices require regular maintenance and a steady supply of consumables, such as laboratory reagents. The Ghana study described analyzers acquired through externally funded donations. Some facilities received free reagents while donor support continued but could not afford them after the funding ended. If a hospital cannot cover ongoing operating costs, the equipment may go unused.

Small Repairs Can Make a Big Difference

Hospitals and donors should account for installation, maintenance, materials, and training in addition to the purchase price.

Sometimes equipment sits unused because of a problem that could be repaired quickly.

A disconnected cable or worn battery may keep a device out of service until a technician can diagnose the problem. Without trained personnel or replacement parts, a single fault can leave equipment offline for months or years. A 2025 study in Frontiers in Health Services examined equipment at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital Kitovu in Uganda. Volunteer biomedical technicians repaired 51 devices, work that the researchers estimated saved the hospitals about $102,000 in repair costs.

The researchers also identified 36 devices that could not be repaired because spare parts were unavailable. Problems with batteries, fuses, and power supplies were among the most common causes of failure. When trained technicians and suitable parts are available locally, repairs can be faster and less expensive than sending equipment to an outside vendor. Repairing devices instead of replacing them can also reduce costs and waste.

Read the Uganda study

Electricity and Training Considerations

Medical devices often require reliable electricity, suitable environmental conditions, and trained personnel to install, operate, and maintain them. If any of these are unavailable, a hospital may not be able to use the technology.

In August 2023, the World Health Organization reported that nearly one billion people in low and lower middle income countries were served by healthcare facilities with unreliable electricity or no electricity at all. In Sub-Saharan Africa, only about half of hospitals had access to reliable electricity. Because electricity powers many essential medical devices, an unreliable supply can make lifesaving technology unavailable at a critical moment.

Backup generators, renewable energy systems, or other power sources may be necessary, and some devices require upgrades to a facility’s electrical infrastructure.

In addition, a hospital needs appropriately trained personnel to operate its medical devices. Clinical staff need to know how to take advantage of the technology and interpret its results, while biomedical engineers and technicians require specific training to diagnose and repair equipment. When staff leave a hospital, the facility may be left with equipment that the remaining staff are unfamiliar with.

WHO: Electricity in healthcare facilities

Better Planning to Avoid Waste

To prevent equipment from going unused, hospitals need to look beyond short term acquisition and plan for the full life of each device. Clinicians, technicians, and administrators should work together to ensure that purchased or donated equipment can be used safely. Facilities should also maintain an inventory of their devices and follow appropriate maintenance schedules.

Budgets should include consumables, maintenance, training, and eventual replacement. Governments and hospital administrations can strengthen biomedical engineering departments so routine repairs do not always need to be sent elsewhere. Donors should also work with recipient facilities to determine what equipment is needed and how its use and maintenance will continue after installation.

The World Health Organization's guidance on medical device donations offers recommendations for improving donation planning and ensuring equipment meets recipient facilities' needs.

Sources