Tuesday 17 December 2013

What Does Medical Supply Mean To Public Health System?

By Eugenia Dickerson


Most of the items used in the provision of health services are usually not durable. The majority of them gets disposed after use and cannot be shared between patients. In fact, a single patient may not use some of them repetitively. This is the description of materials in category of medical supply. Most of them are prescribed or ordered by the physicians for their own use or for betterment of the health of the patient.

In most of the health journals, medical supply is agreed to consist of health utilities that do not last long by nature. They are either disposed after a single use or expires after a short duration. It is a category of materials that physicians usually order or prescribe for a patient and cannot be shared. Their use cannot be in absence of injury or illness and are the primary health equipment and medicines. They are meant to influence the health of the patient in a positive manner but can also do the exact opposite, for this reason, most of them are not usable in a repetitive manner.

For this reason therefore, proper consideration must always be given in procurement and handling these essential utilities. They play a primary role in the health of both the patients and the health providers. The support staff in health facilities is too must be protected from defective equipment.

While the hospitals and other health providers might put in place all the necessary steps to ensure that their environment and treatment procedures are completely secure, the efforts are sometimes in vain particularly if the utilizes supplied to them are defective or are below the required standards. The storage procedures must also be effective as most of these materials are highly sensitive to environmental conditions such light, moisture, temperature and even pressure.

One major effect of using ineffective utilities in the medical field is the health acquired conditions. This consists of injuries, ailments or infections that a patient acquires when in the process of seeking treatment. In most cases, they are not related to the primary ailment that brought the patient in that health facility. When a patient falls and break a bone in healthcare facility for instance for any reason, it becomes a health acquired condition.

The discussion cannot be complete before considering the other category of the victims of health acquired condition. This category consists of health providers such as nurses, doctors and other professionals in this field. The health support staff such as cleaners cannot be forgotten. The two groups handle all categories of medical supplies and have to use gloves and masks in addition to other devices in attempt to protect themselves from infectious diseases and injuries. In case such devices are defective, these works are at a great risk.

The protective devices that are mostly employed include disinfectants, gloves, protective coats and sometimes masks. The technology has however improved the situation as it is now possible to examine the effectiveness of most of these utilities before they are brought to the actual use. Most utilities and other equipment can always be monitored in terms of performance and the corrective measures taken before the situation deteriorates.

For the effectiveness and safety of medical supply, all the industry players have a responsibility. From the manufacturers, suppliers and other dealers to store keepers and the eventual users, all have a responsibly to play. The regulatory bodies too must keep their rules tight to ensure that the general public remains safe.




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