Getinge join Africa Medical Equipment Facility to bolster supplies of life-saving equipment across Africa
Getinge, the manufacturer of medical and life sciences equipment, has joined IFC’s Africa Medical Equipment Facility, an initiative designed to help healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa have better access to life-saving equipment and supplies.
Sweden-headquartered Getinge’s participation in the IFC-led facility will expand opportunities for medical clinics and hospitals in Africa to obtain and service medical equipment, including devices that assist surgeons during lung and heart surgery, machines used to administer anesthesia, ventilators, and other critical devices needed during surgeries and in intensive care.
“We’re proud to participate in an initiative that helps patients by ensuring the supply of critical medical equipment where it’s urgently needed,” said Sebastien Blanche, Global Head of Getinge Financial Services. “In this joint effort, we will not only make the devices more affordable, but also help build sustainable service plans for their continued use.”
The new partnership with Getinge builds on the company’s established network for providing training and after-sales servicing in countries covered by the facility.
“Whether through our ongoing COVID-19 response or the development of live-saving healthcare networks, IFC is focused on building a stronger, more resilient health system across Africa,” said Samuel Dzotefe, IFC’s Acting Regional Industry Director for Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Services in Africa. “Our goal is to save lives by developing innovative ways to finance the delivery of critical medical equipment – and follow up with the services that will make them most impactful.”
Africa’s smaller healthcare operators often struggle to obtain financing to buy or rent advanced medical equipment because of the perceived high investment risk, limiting the ability of many medical facilities to obtain critical equipment. The Africa Medical Equipment Facility (AMEF) works with partner banks and medical equipment manufacturers to make affordable, long-term funding available to clinics for advanced medical supplies. IFC provides clinics and hospitals participating in AMEF with training to improve their financial management and medical equipment procurement strategies.
AMEF also helps small and medium-sized healthcare providers secure training and servicing for equipment obtained under the deal. Those steps are designed to limit expensive and crippling breakdowns of sophisticated equipment. Poor maintenance is an often over-looked barrier to healthcare in West and East Africa, where equipment is often obtained by smaller medical providers through donations or one-off purchases without training and maintenance plans.
By providing affordable financing and a more comprehensive model for equipment purchasing, AMEF unlocks new customers for manufacturers like Getinge and other partners in the facility, including KARL STORZ, GE Healthcare, and Phillips.
AMEF is currently active in the countries of Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Ghana. Partnering financial institutions currently include the Co-operative Bank of Kenya and NSIA Banque Côte d’Ivoire.
