MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY: AN ENIGMA

Health care facilities, whether in developed or developing countries, are increasingly finding themselves carrying out a balancing act between the available financial resources and demand for rapidly changing medical technology. The current situation on management of medical technology, especially sophisticated medical equipment, in India and developed countries is discussed and managerial methods suggested to make technology more need-based than demand-based. Lack of standardization of medical equipment in India is highlighted and the formation of an internal technology assessment group in each hospital is recommended along with scientific planning and evaluation of each new medical equipment to be brought into use.