EBME Expo
Sub-Saharan African countries until around 10 years ago.” “Even now, you can go to the National Referral Hospital in Malago in Kampala (the capital of Uganda), and you will have a 1000-bed hospital with two engineers – only one of those may have biomedical engineering training. The other may be an electrician, and they may spend most of their time fixing the air con and the TV sets. This is the reality; it is so far away from everything we’ve been talking about around this table.” He pointed out that, despite the immense
challenges, there are lots of interesting ways in which distributive technology is already being used in Africa – people are using mobile phone technology for patient monitoring, for example, because they are dealing with very low resource settings. However, the hospitals which have electronic equipment are constantly having to throw it out or replace it, due to power outages. “All the power comes back on and blows the equipment. There’s very little surge protection in any of the hospitals I have visited,” Martin Worster commented. “A lot of what we’re talking about, from my perspective, brings up the question of inequality and how the West is clearly moving far away in one direction and leaving large chunks of the human race behind.” Martin Worster further elaborated on some
of the challenges around medical devices management in low resource countries and gave a reminder to the Network that it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of new technology. “I’ve come across asset registers where information on all of the equipment is kept on a mobile phone – because it’s not connected to the mains and therefore won’t go down when
there’s a power surge. So, technology needs to be appropriate – and I think this also applies to us, here. The technology that we’re talking about, first and foremost, needs to be appropriate to what we’re trying to do. “It’s easy to run away with the technology itself, which is all very exciting. But we need to keep one eye on the patient, at all times, and keep thinking: is this actually appropriate to providing healthcare for all of our population, not just the people that can afford to access the new technology? This is not just about the increasing inequalities between Europe and other parts of the world – we have the potential for increasing inequalities within our own society as well. Technology may – unbeknown to us and against all our best wishes – make these inequalities worse,” he asserted. Commenting on the day’s discussion, Prof. John Sandham, concluded: “I was proud to chair
this inaugural meeting of the EBME Expo Leaders Network which laid bare the critical junctions we face in healthcare technology. We’re not just talking about connecting devices; we’re talking about connecting patient care, workforce development, and ethical considerations in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. “From AI integration to global inequalities in access, the insights shared will be pivotal in shaping the future of healthcare and, ultimately, the quality of patient outcomes. The EBME Expo, and initiatives like this Leaders Network, are crucial platforms for driving these vital conversations and fostering the collaborative solutions our sector urgently needs. It’s clear: investment in technology must be matched by investment in our people and a strategic vision for equitable, safe, and efficient healthcare delivery.”
References 1.
https://www.ascom.com/uk/customer- stories/chase-farm-customer-story/
2.
https://www.imeche.org/policy-and-press/ press-releases/press-release-detail/more- engineers-needed-to-deliver-high-tech- healthcare-new-imeche-report
3.
https://www.amaltheatrust.org.uk/ 4.
https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/mib36/ resources/visensia-for-early-detection-of- deteriorating-vital-signs-in-adults-in-hospital- pdf-63499108954309
The EBME Expo Leaders Network will now meet at regular intervals to discuss topical issues in the sector. Many of the issues discussed during the meeting will also be addressed during the EBME Expo Conference, taking place at the Coventry Building Society Arena, 25-26 June 2025. To Register, visit:
https://ebme-expo.com/
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