THE CHALLENGES OF RENAL EQUIPMENTS HANDLING IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD) IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Renal equipments handling encompasses proper care (maintenance) and manipulation (application) of dialysis equipments for proper treatment and care of patients with kidney problems. In Nigeria this is still a common challenge as many of us do not have the required handling skills or do not really take it serious where the skills exist. This has resulted in the dumping and underutilization of many of these machines. A visit to many of our dialysis centers shows that most dialysis and reverse osmosis (RO) machines have been abandoned soon after installation or are in poor state of disrepairs. In some cases, even the few functioning ones often breakdown due to poor handling thereby causing frequent disruption of services and forcing clients to either wait or seek care elsewhere. Most times where these services are rendered, the quality of care becomes a

challenge due to poor functioning of the machines. Therefore there is the need to address this problem. The aim of this work is to closely examine these challenges and presents the Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) approach which is a new concept as a way forward using my local and international experiences. PPM is a schedule of planned
maintenance actions geared towards the prevention of breakdowns and failures. It involves regular repetitive work done to keep the equipment in a good working condition so as to optimize its efficiency and accuracy The PPM concept is intended to create attitudinal change among operators from the maxim of ‘I operate to breakdown and the maintenance personnel (Engineer) fix’. to ‘Operator involvement in preventive maintenance activities’. What this means is that the operator does not only operates but doubles as the maintenance person involving in simple maintenance activities like regular inspection, cleaning of dialysis machines etc and strict compliance with equipment safety/ standard operating procedures (SOPs) as stated by the manufacturer. This guarantees continuous functioning of the machines, reduces cost and equipment downtime to enhance affordability and the quality of care for our dialysis patients in Nigeria. Therefore PPM highly recommended for all dialysis centers in Nigeria.