The Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, has emphasised the urgent need for the availability of trained biomedical engineers in hospitals across Nigeria, highlighting the critical role these professionals play in maintaining medical equipment and ensuring the effective delivery of healthcare services. She warned that the absence of adequately trained biomedical engineers in many hospitals has resulted in poor maintenance of medical devices, which can compromise patient care and overall healthcare efficiency.
Speaking during the ongoing 4th National Oxygen Coordination Meeting, which brought together government representatives and development partners to discuss strategies for improving medical oxygen availability, Ajetunmobi pointed out that Nigeria currently faces a severe shortage of biomedical engineers. She noted that estimates indicate fewer than 0.05 biomedical engineers per 10,000 people, equating to roughly 280 biomedical engineers nationwide, a figure far below what is required to adequately maintain the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
According to the commissioner, biomedical engineers are indispensable to the healthcare system. Their responsibilities extend beyond routine maintenance to include the design and implementation of medical devices, research and development of innovative healthcare solutions, and the optimisation of hospital technologies to meet evolving medical needs. She emphasised that without the presence of these professionals, hospitals often struggle with equipment downtime, inadequate servicing, and the inability to fully utilise sophisticated medical devices, thereby affecting patient outcomes.
To mitigate the shortage, the Nigerian government has taken several steps, including the establishment of specialised biomedical engineering departments in universities, the provision of financial support for research and development initiatives, and the initiation of training programmes aimed at enhancing skills and expertise in the field. Collaborative efforts with international institutions have also been pursued to improve educational standards and promote innovation in biomedical engineering. Nevertheless, Ajetunmobi stressed that these efforts must be accompanied by continuous capacity building to ensure that biomedical engineers remain up to date with technological advancements and best practices in the maintenance and operation of medical equipment.
“In some of our hospitals, we don’t even have trained biomedical engineers. Even where positions exist, personnel often require continuous training to keep up with evolving medical technologies,” the commissioner said. “They are the ones taking care of the machines operating behind the scenes. We need to build their capacity so that they can respond effectively to challenges, know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.”
Ajetunmobi also highlighted the challenges surrounding the maintenance of medical oxygen facilities in the state, citing the example of Oyo State’s solarised oxygen plant, which has been customised to local needs. She pointed out that accessing spare parts and ensuring proper servicing remains a challenge, as specialised components are not always readily available. “Many times, when the maintenance agency comes to service the plant, it becomes an issue to source the required spare parts. Regular access to spare parts is essential because it ensures that when equipment fails, repairs can be made promptly,” she explained. She noted that discussions at the three-day meeting have largely focused on addressing these operational challenges to ensure the sustainability and reliability of medical oxygen supply.
In addition, healthcare officials highlighted the importance of training and empowering healthcare workers as central to sustaining medical oxygen systems. The Secretary of the National Oxygen Desk in the Federal Ministry of Health, Eno Edem, underscored the critical role of hospital personnel, who are directly responsible for administering oxygen therapy and managing associated equipment. She called on state governments to apply the lessons learned during the coordination meetings to enhance the functionality and longevity of medical oxygen services. Edem stressed that training healthcare workers not only improves patient care but also ensures that expensive equipment is used efficiently and maintained properly, contributing to the overall sustainability of medical oxygen supply systems in hospitals nationwide.
The discussions at the meeting underscored a broader recognition within Nigeria’s healthcare sector that addressing the shortage of skilled biomedical engineers and strengthening the capacity of healthcare personnel are fundamental to improving hospital service delivery. Participants noted that sustained investment in human capital, alongside the consistent provision of equipment and spare parts, would be essential in ensuring that medical facilities are equipped to provide quality care, particularly in life-critical areas such as oxygen therapy.
In conclusion, the commissioner reiterated that a combination of strategic workforce development, infrastructure maintenance, and continuous professional training is vital for the effective operation of hospitals and the reliability of critical healthcare services. She stressed that a coordinated national effort is required to ensure that biomedical engineers are not only trained but supported with the resources and institutional frameworks needed to maintain medical equipment and optimise healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
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