Biomedical Capacity Building

We have been optimising performance for our clients in the wider Asia-Pacific region for many years, by sharing our knowledge and expertise in biomedical engineering:

Training courses, tailored to customer’s requirements, have been provided in Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Malaysia, and Hong Kong
Collaborative programs, involving training and mentoring of biomedical engineering technicians and managers, have included Australian and overseas components.
Consultancy services have been delivered in several countries, for:

Evaluation of biomedical engineering services
Advice on biomedical engineering training options
Expert consultation to industry and medical device developers

FBE specialises in tailoring programs to suit the particular needs of clients. Training courses and mentoring programs can be run either at Flinders or the client’s workplace. Topics are individually structured to the client’s needs and can focus on biomedical technology, management, life sciences, occupational safety or other issues relating to the establishment or operation of biomedical engineering facilities.
Mentoring and training programs are effective:

They are delivered by experienced practicing biomedical engineering personnel
Course material is provided to all participants during training
Participants undergo short examinations upon completion

Papua New Guinea

FBE staff provided consultancy and mentoring to Biomedical Engineering Technicians, in 2003 and 2005, through the AusAID funded Medical Equipment Management in the Pacific (MEMP) project and the Papua New Guinea Health Sector Support program.

Hong Kong

Flinders Biomedical Engineering advised the Hong Kong Electrical and Mechanical Services Department regarding a model for restructuring biomedical engineering activities throughout Hong Kong. Training was provided for visiting engineers by Flinders Biomedical Engineering and collaborating South Australian partners on medical imaging equipment in 2002.

Malaysia

Situational analysis, 2000

Flinders Biomedical Engineering provided a Situational Analysis of the Services of a Malaysian Biomedical Engineering company.

Workforce organisation & training
Technology management
Physical resources
Management structure
Spare parts logistics

Training and mentoring program, 2002

Following the situational analysis, a collaborative program was established for the training of Malaysian Biomedical Engineers both in Malaysia and Adelaide:

Experienced FBE staff mentored biomedical engineers and technicians on the job in Malaysia throughout 2002.
Groups of Malaysian biomedical technicians received training in the theory of biomedical engineering at Flinders University and Flinders Biomedical Engineering.
Training included: cardioverters, spectrophotometry, balances, water baths, laboratory incubators, laboratory analysers, centrifuges, liquid & gas chromatography, blood gas analysers, microscopes, light sources, etc.

Targeted short training courses, 2003 - 2006

FBE developed and delivered targeted short training courses in Malaysia, to Biomedical Engineers and technicians, in partnership with the local branch of an international research institute. Course content included:

Overview of hospital based patient diagnosis and treatment
Medical terminology
Engineering principles employed in medical device design
Maintenance considerations for key medical devices
Acceptance testing for new medical devices (international standards and codes of practices)
Technology management planning
Maintenance resource management
Risk concepts and considerations
Management of external contracts, spare parts and documentation
Operation and maintenance of infant incubators, phototherapy units, patient warmers, resuscitators, electrosurgical units, infusion devices, aspirators, pulse oximeters, haemodialysis machines, operating microscopes, surgical lasers, patient monitoring systems, anaesthetic machines, ventilators, non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) devices, electrocardiographs (ECGs) and defibrillators.

World-class biomedical showcase development 2008-2012

As part of a joint venture involving FBE’s client and the local branch of an international research institute, FBE trained staff and increased the capability of nine hospital biomedical engineering departments in Malaysia.
The departments in two of Kuala Lumpur’s largest hospitals received special treatment, including a four-year program of managing and reforming the operations and redesigning the departments. The responsibility, of providing biomedical engineering services to the hospitals, was delegated to FBE and the joint venture. FBE personnel were appointed as department heads and senior biomedical engineers. Selected local biomedical engineers were appointed as assistant/trainee managers and departmental staff. The world’s best practices and procedures were introduced into the departments. In the following months/years, the performance and efficiency of the departments excelled and they became world-class centres of excellence in biomedical engineering:

Running costs decreased
Staff job satisfaction increased
Staff turnover decreased
Equipment availability increased
Nurse’s and doctor’s confidence in the service increased
Contract fee-reduction penalties decreased

As well as optimising the performance of the departments, FBE personnel trained the local staff and managers in the best practices and procedures, and gradually handed the operation of the departments to local managers and staff, over a three year period.
The client then had the total ownership, responsibility and benefits of the international showcase departments, and became the leading concession company in Malaysia

India

FBE participated in Australia Business Week in India (ABWI) in January 2015 in Delhi, Pune and Mumbai. This included visits to some of the major hospitals in these cities, where the hospital managers were able to discuss their biomedical engineering needs and strategy with FBE.
In conjunction with ABWI, FBE also visited several hospitals in Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, to learn about the various models used to provide biomedical engineering support to hospitals in India, and identify how FBE can help to improve that support.
FBE is seeking continuing discussions with healthcare organisations, with a view to delivering improved biomedical engineering services in India.

For further information about programs to assist biomedical engineering operations to meet industry benchmarks and become centres of excellence, contact .