Biomedical engineering heads
Split downtime into reporting, vendor response, spares and handover, and enforce contract terms with evidence.
Free guide for biomedical heads, MS and nursing superintendents
Biomedical equipment management for Indian hospitals
We Own It. Why Can't We Use It? · India edition
Indian audits keep finding equipment that is present but not usable: not installed, waiting for a spare or the AMC engineer, without trained staff or consumables, or in the wrong ward. This free guide shows how to keep one master register, record status as well as location, meet NABH FMS.5, hold maintenance providers to uptime, and decide when to repair, move, condemn or buy.
- 74-page PDF
- NABH FMS.5 mapped
- 3 worked examples
- 5 templates
Start with availability
Biomedical equipment management for Indian hospitals: where to begin
Biomedical equipment management is the hospital programme for planning, registering, maintaining, calibrating and retiring medical equipment. NABH FMS.5 expects an inventory with logs, a documented preventive and breakdown maintenance plan, calibration, trained users, recall action and downtime monitoring for critical equipment.
Start with a census of one equipment class: compare the register with what is found, and record each device as in use, idle, faulty, in store or not installed. Then set ownership and ward pars, put AMC or CMC terms and downtime on the record, and give the Hospital Equipment Management Committee one page of numbers each month.
To see how one equipment record supports this method, explore Assetly hospital asset management software. The PDF is free to use with your own team.
Medical superintendents and administrators
Bring NABH evidence, condemnation and purchase decisions to one committee review.
Nursing superintendents, purchase and finance
Stop duplicate purchases and paying for cover on equipment that is not in use.
From diagnosis to decision
A four-part equipment availability method
Work through the parts in order. Each one leaves your team with something it can review.
- 01
Chapters 1–2
See the real gap
The national baseline from the government equipment programme, why equipment sits idle, the availability funnel and a two-week census.
Your working output: A funnel and six agreed measures for one equipment class.
- 02
Chapters 3–4
Ownership and one master register
Ward pars and pools, the clean and dirty loop, the asset record with AMC/CMC and licences, transfers, reconciliation and moving off Excel, SAP or Tally.
Your working output: A trusted register and exceptions with owners.
- 03
Chapters 5–7
Tagging, readiness and NABH
GS1 barcode and QR first, RFID audits, BLE where it pays; equipment statuses; breakdowns, calibration, recalls; NABH FMS.5, AERB, MvPI and BMMP uptime.
Your working output: An NABH evidence map and enforceable contract terms.
- 04
Chapters 8–9
Decide and run it
Repair, move, condemn or buy; the beyond-economic-repair test; a one-page business case; a 90-day rollout and the committee review.
Your working output: A purchase case template and a monthly review rhythm.
Use it on Monday
Templates and worked examples in the guide
The PDF includes worksheets and procedures to adapt to your own hospital.
Census sheet and status codes
Record each device found and whether it is in use, idle, faulty or not installed.
Ward par worksheet
Set pars from peak use instead of the busiest day anyone remembers.
Tagging worksheet
Decide where barcode, QR, RFID or BLE is worth it, device class by device class.
AMC/CMC contract terms
Response time, 72-hour critical downtime, penalties and evidence per visit.
Condemnation procedure
BER test, committee approval, AERB decommissioning where needed and register update.
Committee review and checklist
Six numbers, three decisions and a one-page programme checklist.
Templates are presented in the PDF; no separate editable workbook is included.
Look inside the actual guide
Preview pages from the guide
These pages are taken from the PDF. Enter your email to get the complete guide.
Where equipment hides on one floor
NABH FMS.5, element by element
AMC/CMC terms and uptime arithmetic
Before you request it
Common questions
What does NABH FMS.5 require for medical equipment?
NABH 6th edition FMS.5 has eight objective elements: equipment planning, an inventory with logs, a documented preventive and breakdown maintenance plan (a Core element), periodic inspection and calibration, trained operators, written guidance on replacement and disposal, adverse event and recall monitoring, and downtime monitoring for critical equipment.
What uptime targets does the government equipment programme set?
The Biomedical Equipment Management and Maintenance Program sets 95% uptime for district hospitals, 90% for CHCs and 80% for PHCs. The revised model contract limits downtime for listed critical and life-saving equipment to 72 hours and other equipment to 7 days.
Why is equipment idle in Indian hospitals?
Government audits most often cite missing trained staff or consumables, equipment not installed or commissioned, units not operating, and pending repairs, rather than lost equipment. The guide treats status and location as one record for this reason.
Do we need RFID or RTLS for NABH?
No. NABH asks for the records, not a technology. The government programme itself tags equipment with GS1 barcodes and QR codes. The guide recommends barcode or QR first, RFID for audits and battery tags only where searches are frequent and costly.
Is the guide free, and do I have to give my email?
It is free, and we send it by email. Enter your work email in the form on this page. It does not subscribe you to marketing emails.
Is there a US edition?
Yes. The US edition covers CMS equipment maintenance rules, the January 2026 Joint Commission changes and US hospital case studies.
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