Functioning medical equipment is an absolute necessity for the treatment of patients in a hospital. Without operating lamps, sterilisers, microscopes and many other instruments, patients cannot be adequately treated. But many medical instruments in Madagascar suffer from the extreme climatic conditions and intense use over many years, especially as they are often second-hand.

Luckily we have already been able to distribute a large amount of technical equipment to hospitals, but our work does not stop there. We have to ensure that the equipment we give can be properly maintained. This can be a challenge, however: Madagascar lacks qualified technicians and specialists, as the companies which manufacture medical equipment do not have service providers on the island.

Doctors for Madagascar hires local specialists and technicians, buys spare parts and takes care of procuring new equipment. Technicians are trained by local specialists or European experts.

The monthly salary of a hospital technician to maintain and repair essential equipment is around 170€.