A bulk wheelchair order should not begin and end with a quantity. Hospitals, charities and community programmes need to know who the chairs are for, how they will be fitted and what support remains after distribution day. A lower unit price is not good value if the supplied configuration does not meet the person's needs.
This guide helps procurement teams in Uganda and South Sudan prepare a programme enquiry. Individual clinical and seating decisions should be made with the wheelchair user and appropriately trained personnel, not inferred from a photograph or a purchasing checklist.
Define the service before fixing the quantity
The WHO Wheelchair provision guidelines, 2023 recommend an individual process of selection, fitting, training and follow-up. Their approach applies across wheelchair types and user groups. Buying equipment is therefore only one part of providing a wheelchair service.
Identify who will coordinate assessment and referrals, where appointments can take place and who will support users after delivery. Ask the programme lead to distinguish short-term facility transport from longer-term personal mobility. Do not combine these requests into one specification simply to simplify the order.
Build a configuration schedule, not a one-size order
Use the assessment team's requirements to group the proposed order by model, seat dimensions, weight capacity and required components. Keep each configuration separately identifiable in the quotation. Include an agreed process for unresolved assessments rather than guessing the missing sizes.
For example, a programme may know its overall target number before it knows the final mix of sizes and accessories. Ask suppliers whether a staged order or sample review is possible, and obtain the commercial terms in writing. Do not promise recipients a particular chair until suitability and supply have both been confirmed.
Exper's wheelchair enquiry page covers standard, reclining, commode and electric options. These labels do not establish that any one model suits a particular person. Request the exact model documentation and a configuration-specific quotation.
Make the assessment information useful without exposing private records
Ask the qualified assessment team to translate each person's requirements into a procurement specification. The WHO guidance includes physical, functional, environmental and lifestyle needs in selection. Fitting should involve the user and take account of the cushion, postural support and accessories where required.
For supplier enquiries, use programme identifiers and only the information needed to specify equipment. Keep personal medical records within the programme's authorised care process. Establish who can approve substitutions and who must be consulted if the requested configuration is unavailable.
Separate equipment costs from programme costs
- Wheelchair quantities by approved configuration.
- Cushions, supports and other specified accessories.
- Assembly, adjustments and fitting responsibilities.
- User and caregiver orientation arrangements.
- Delivery, storage and distribution-site costs.
- Replacement parts, repairs and follow-up support.
Do not assume a supplier's delivery price includes clinical assessment or a community follow-up service. Name the responsible organisation for each activity. Ask for current support scope and exclusions, especially where the programme operates away from Kampala or across a border.
Agree receiving and allocation controls
Before dispatch, request a packing schedule that separates configurations and accessory sets. At receipt, reconcile model labels and quantities against the order, inspect for transport damage and record discrepancies before allocation.
Use our delivery handover checklist for receiving responsibilities. Keep programme allocation separate from warehouse receipt: a chair being present and undamaged does not mean it has been fitted and accepted for a specific user.
Plan what happens after distribution day
Ask for model-specific replacement-part references, warranty terms and a fault-reporting contact. Budget for a named follow-up route rather than leaving recipients to find assistance themselves. Record whether a concern requires a repair, an adjustment or reassessment by trained personnel.
For a comparable quotation, send Exper the destination, proposed quantities, assessment-led configurations, required accessories and the support activities you want quoted. The quotation comparison guide can help distinguish equipment prices from programme responsibilities.
Contact Exper Medical Network on +256 756 789 821 or info.brandexper@gmail.com. Stock, prices, configuration options and delivery or support services require written confirmation. WHO guidance reviewed on 28 October 2026; no WHO affiliation or endorsement is implied.