Rwanda Biomedical Centre through its Medical Technology and Infrastructure Division, responsible for healthcare technology management (HTM), as well as supervision and support of healthcare infrastructure engineering, partnered with Enabel in Rwanda to initiate the upgraded portal designed to help public healthcare facilities to manage their equipment inventory, maintenance and support in planning, acquisition and decision making.
MEMMS was introduced since 2012 through the support of CHAI, aiming to the different components including, equipment inventory, spare parts management and maintenance management. This web-based application has been assisting the health sector in the management of medical equipment inventory.
After years of operation, its development language has been outdated and this led to the limited access of system source code for its easiest administration.
In 2024 through the support of Enabel, MEMMS have been upgraded to the next level using up-to-date programming language to enhance the effective workflow with additional features including Digitalization of all the maintenance process at the Health Facilities; Equipment request to central level through the system; Idle equipment visibility at all health facilities for reallocation purpose; Equipment transfer through the MEMMS system; Ability to request technical support for equipment through the system with maintenance contracts.; System generated reports to be signed digitally and saved online on preventive maintenance and curative maintenance; Mobile application for BMETs to use the system on the go; Hospital management to supervise and approve all works done on the system ;Ability to use the system dashboard for displaying different reports live; Trainings and technical Information to be shared to BMETS in public hospital ;Service providers added on the system for maintenance purposes; Internal transfers for inter-departments transfers; Linking MEMMS with MINECOFIN asset registrar etc.
Besides being web based, Mobile application accessible for both android and iOS users, has been successful developed to facilitate the access and management of different request on the go. The system has passed its testing and pilot usage phases with 7 health facilities participating and currently the project is at the phase of migration of the inventory data from all hospitals into the upgraded system in line with its official launch preparation.
MEMMS which is set looks to go live this month will be useful mostly for the biomedical technicians and logistic staff ‘time management and effective medical equipment and devices by managing all parts devices of the equipment’s up to all maintenance levels.
The system will help a lot in maintaining the safety of the medical equipment by preventing its deterioration in case of damage and will get repaired on time through its tracking system.
During the piloting phase of MEMMS, seven (7) Health Facilities participated to gauge its capacity and familiarize with its features and include Nyarugenge District Hospital, Bushenge Level Two Teaching Hospital, Munini District Hospital, Shyira District Hospital, Byumba Level Two Teaching Hospital, Nyabikenke District Hospital, Gatenga Medicalized Health Centre.
According to Dr. Fedine Iratubona Urubuto, a Clinical Director at Nyarugenge District Hospitalrecalling “MEMMS system came to the rescue for our medical equipment to get timely maintenance attention with all personnel involved notified and make follow for the device to get ready. We used to spend days and days to figure out certain equipment was damaged and need repairing, this is a good system that will also boost our incidence reporting system as we used to utilize paper-based enquiry for maintenance of devices like Monitors, stretchers, autoclaves and others.” She added.
To ensure the provision of efficient management and coordination of medical equipment and infrastructure in all public health facilities in the country, Rwanda Biomedical Centre through Medical Technology and Infrastructure Division, MEMMS was much awaited for more than a decade.
Dr. Mukagatare Isabelle the RBC’s Head of Department for Biomedical Services commended the effort made for its availability and during the launch was full of praise for the partners, technicians who made it possible, saying “Thanks to all of the individuals and institutions that gave us MEMMS, the work is ahead of us with the implementation in exhausting it by exploring all its modules to make sure all efforts beard fruits.”
