Survey of Biomedical Equipment Inventory Management Practices at Federal Medical Centres in the North East Zone

Effective inventory management of biomedical equipment is foundational to ensuring equipment availability, budgetary accountability, and maintenance planning in federal health institutions, yet the practices and systems in place at Federal Medical Centres in the North East zone of Nigeria are inadequately documented. This study surveys biomedical equipment inventory management practices at four Federal Medical Centres in Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Yobe states. Data were collected through structured interviews with biomedical technologists, administrative officers, and heads of clinical departments, supplemented by physical inspection of equipment store areas and review of available inventory documentation. The study assessed whether facilities maintained current equipment registers, used computerized inventory systems, conducted periodic physical stock-taking, and tracked equipment lifecycle data including purchase date, warranty status, and end-of-life projections. Findings indicate that physical paper-based registers were the only inventory tool in use at three of the four facilities, with the fourth using a partially populated Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Physical stock-taking was conducted annually at two facilities and ad hoc at the remaining two. Equipment age data were absent or inaccurate at all four facilities, making lifecycle planning impossible. Procurement decisions were described as reactive rather than strategically planned based on inventory data at all facilities. The study concludes that current inventory management practices in the surveyed Federal Medical Centres are inadequate and recommends adoption of a purpose-built health technology management software platform and the establishment of a standardized national equipment coding system coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health. Keywords: biomedical equipment, inventory management, Federal Medical Centres, North East Nigeria, health technology management.