Professional Framework for Biomedical Engineering Support in Emergency Care Departments of Nigerian Secondary Health Facilities

Emergency care departments in Nigerian secondary health facilities rely on a set of critical biomedical devices whose operational reliability directly determines patient survival outcomes, yet professional frameworks for biomedical engineering support specifically tailored to emergency care contexts are absent from Nigerian health system planning documents. This study develops a professional framework for biomedical engineering support in emergency care departments of secondary health facilities in Nigeria, with primary fieldwork conducted at secondary facilities in Kwara, Niger, and Nassarawa states representing the North Central zone. The framework development followed a structured methodology including stakeholder needs assessment interviews with emergency physicians, nurses, and biomedical technologists, equipment criticality analysis mapping device failure consequences to patient risk levels, current support gap analysis against international emergency department equipment management standards, and expert review. Emergency care critical device categories identified include cardiac monitors, defibrillators, infusion pumps, ventilators, suction devices, and portable diagnostic equipment. The framework specifies minimum inspection frequencies by criticality class, emergency response time standards for critical device failures, competency requirements for emergency-care-assigned biomedical technologists, a suggested equipment redundancy provision policy, and documentation requirements. A costing analysis demonstrates that framework implementation is achievable within state health facility budget constraints through partial reallocation of existing maintenance budgets. Pilot testing of the framework's inspection protocols at two facilities demonstrated a significant improvement in detected preventable failures. The study recommends adoption by State Ministries of Health as a minimum standard for emergency department equipment management. Keywords: biomedical engineering support, emergency care, secondary health facilities, equipment management, North Central Nigeria.