PLANNING

EQUIPPMENTS
AND SUPPLIES
FOR NURSING
CARE
 INTRODUCTION

•Hospital supplies and

equippments are dealt
with under material
management.
 SUPPLIES
• Supplies are those items
that are used up or
consumed; hence the term
consumable is used for
supplies.

• Includes drugs, surgical

goods (disposables, glass
wares), chemicals,
antiseptics, food materials,
stationeries, linen supply
 EQUIPPMENT
• The term equipment is used for more permanent type of article
and may be classified as fixed and movables.
• Fixed equipment is not a structure of the building, but it is
attached to the walls or floors (eg; steriliser,).
• Movable equipment includes furniture, instruments etc.
 PURCHASE OF SUPPLIES AND
EQUIPMENT
• The purchase of supplies and equippments in a hospital is
carried out through;

General Dietary
store department

Pharmacy
department
When planning for the purchase of articles,
budgeting is done not only for the actual
price of articles but also for the additional
costs such as
Transport charges
Incidental costs
Cost of chemicals and other consumable to be used with the
equipment (eg; ECG paper for an ECG machine )
Operating cost (hiring a technician )
Cost of maintenance service;
Cost of technology obsolesces: when a better quality appears
in market there is tendency to discard the old model.
Replacement cost of equipment
 Selection of article

While buying articles it has to meet the standards.

Indian Standards Institution is the national agency set up to
bring standardisation of articles in India.
Articles that meet the criteria specified by the Indian
Standard Institution will be marked by ISI markings.
The articles bought should provide safety to the patient and
personnel.
Faulty instruments and equipments cause not only
inconvenience in the patient care, but also it may cause the
loss of life.
 Purchasing article
The material used for any equipment should be durable, non-
corroding, non-toxic and safe for use.
Should have standard shapes and dimensions to fit
into various situations
Reparability and spare part availability of the article
Interchangability of the article
All surgical instruments used in a hospital should be
sterilisable and they should stand the tests for leakage ,
hydraulic pressure tests for bursting etc.
Should have accuracy in measurements
Should have ease of operation
 The central supply service
• Most hospitals have a central department where equipments
and supplies are stored and from which they are distributed to
the units.
• The type of materials that is kept in the central supply room
varies from hospital to hospital.

In other hospitals
In some hospital all types of
the central soppy equipment such
room deals with as oxygen,
only the sterile suction, ward
supplies and ward trays, catheters,
trays syringes etc. are
stored here
 Linen supply: Methods of
handling linen supply include

Departmentalised system: supply of

linen for each department is marked Centralised linen supply: Under
for that department. The head of the centralised system, linen is issued
department is responsible for making on exchange basis, that is clean
a linen standard for his own linen is exchanged for soiled linen.
department.
 FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED
Type of service provided by the hospital: a maternity hospital
requires different equipment related to gynaecologic
procedures than a cardiac hospital.
Age of patients: children need different type and amount of
equipments than adults.
Sex- men and women sometime require different type of
equipment.
Degree and type of illness- neurologic patients sometimes
require more bedsides, rubber mattress and linen than
patients with other type of illness.
Cost of items- cost of items will limit the purchase of number
of equipment.
GENERAL UTILITY
SERVICES IN THE
HOSPITAL
 Electric supply and
installations
A hospital must have a steady electrical supply at a
stable voltage.
Voltage fluctuations play havoc with sophisticated
electronic equipment, endoscope, sterilisers, X-ray
equipments etc.
While planning hospital departments, provision
should be made for voltage stabilisation in areas with
heavy concentration of electrical and electronic
equipment.
There should be an emergency generator capable of
supplying power to all emergency areas of the
hospital.
This generator should be of right capacity and kept in
working order by periodic test runs.
Water supply

• Since safe water

supply is not always
assured, hospitals
must have their own
purification system.
• Also there should be
plumbing system.
 Disposal of waste –liquids and
solids

• Disposal of waste
both solid and liquid
is a totally neglected
area. A hospital
incinarator is good
for the waste
management.
 Refrigeration, air conditioning,
ventilation and environment
control.

• Air conditioning
is required for
protection of
sophisticated
electronic
equipment, X
ray, machines
etc.
 Transport

• Lifts are needed for vertical transport. There should be separate lifts
for patients, visitors, staff and supply.
• Patients lift should accommodate a standard hospital bed.
• Sides of the lift must be protected to prevent damage by trolleys.
Lift surfaces and flooring should be capable of easy cleaning and
disinfection.
• Ventilation, communication and emergency escape system should
be provided on all lifts.
• As for horizontal transport also trolleys and ramps with gentle
gradient are useful.
 Supply of medical gases ,
vacuum suction and gas plants
• Piped supply of medical gases ,
compressed air, vacuum suction , hot
water, steam
• Necessitates thoughtful planning at all
stages to consider problems of –
• Easy uninterrupted safe supply
• Fire and explosion hazards
• Easy of servicing and maintenance
without disrupting hospital services.
 Laundry
• A hospital laundry has 2 separate areas, with
provision for decontamination and sterilising of
soiled linen.
 Fire hazard

• There should be consideration of ventilation,

exhaust systems and adequate earthing of all
electrical installation.
 Communication
• Public telephone and internal telephones
are required in each hospital.
 Repairs workshop

• There should be provision for repair and

maintenance of necessary equippments
used in the hospital.
MATERIALS USED IN HOSPITALS

MATERIALS
USED IN
HOSPITALS

HOSPITAL
MATERIAL
MANAGEMENT
SIDE
MATERIALS USED IN HOSPITALS
Pe
rfusio
Su n ma
rgica terial
Ins l disp s
trum osab
Dr ents les
ugs, m
Bio edici
medi ne, o
Di cal eq xygen
sinfe uipm , line
Co cting ent n
mput items
ers, t
eleph
one a
nd fa
x
MATERIALS USED IN HOSPITALS
(contd.)
 Fo
od an
 An d bev
aesth erage
 E etic e mate
lectro quipm rials
 G medi ent
lass w cal e
 S are, d quipm
urgic ental ent
 A al dre ma c h
rtifici ssing ines
for p al lim utens
atien bs, b ils
 E t, fur anda
ngine nitur ges, c
other ering i e ots
s tems
and m
any
 HOSPITAL MATERIAL
MANAGEMENT SIDE
• Computer, fax, telephone, stationary items
• Public address items overhead projector
• Audiovisual systems
ESSENTIAL EQUIPPMENTS FOR
A 50 BEDDED DISTRICT
HOSPITAL (WHO)
 Scope of services

Essential clinical services- Optional clinical services

medicine, surgery, – oral surgery,
paediatrics., OBG, and orthopaedic surgery,
acute psychiatry (when otolaryngology, neurology
necessary) and psychiatry

Optional clinical support

Essential clinical support-
services- pathology and
anaesthesia, radiology
rehabilitation including
and clinical laboratory
physiotherapy
 Essential medical equipment
Diagnostic imaging equipment –it include x-ray
and ultrasound equipment. X-ray equipment can
be stationary in one room or mobile
Refrigerator – an ordinary household
refrigerator with a freezer unit, for storing
preparations, vaccines, blood etc.
Distillation and purification apparatus - it should
be made of metal that resists acid, and alkali and
should be free standing.
 Essential medical equipment
(contd.)
laboratory equipment –
• microscope
• blood counter
• analytical balance
• calorimeter( spectrophotometer)
• Centrifuge
• Water bath
• Incubator/oven- a small hot air oven to
carry out standard cultivations and
sensitisations.
 Electrical medical equipment
Portable electrocardiograph
Defibrillator( external)
Portable anaesthetic unit – 2 small aesthetic units should
be obtained, complete with a range of masks.
Respirator – it should be applicable for prolonged
administration during post operative care.
Dental chair unit- a complete unit should be available to
carry out standard dental operations.
 Electrical medical equipment
(contd.)
Suction pump –one portable and one other suction pump
are required.
Operating theatre lamp- one main lamp with at least 8
shadows lamp and an auxiliary of 4 lamp units.
Delivery table- it should be standard and manually
operated.
Diathermy unit – a standard coagulating unit which is
operated by hand or foot switch, with variable poor
control.
 Other equipment
Autoclave – for general stabilisation
Small sterilisers- for specific services- eg. Stabiliser
Cold chain and other preventive medical equipment
Ambulance
 Small, inexpensive equipment
and instruments

• Equipment and instrument, such as BP apparatus,

oxygen manifolds, stethoscope, diagnostic sets
and spotlights.