Two maintenance proposals can have the same annual price and cover very different work. A hospital in Uganda or South Sudan should compare the named equipment, planned visits, fault response, spare parts and travel arrangements before choosing a service provider.
This guide helps facility managers prepare a service enquiry. The final scope must reflect the equipment manufacturer's requirements, the facility's approved maintenance programme and the provider's confirmed capability.
Name the assets the agreement covers
Attach an equipment schedule showing manufacturer, model, serial number, location and current condition. Identify devices still under warranty and any existing fault awaiting assessment. Ask the provider to mark each asset as included, excluded or requiring inspection before pricing.
A description such as “all laboratory equipment” leaves too much unresolved. If new equipment will be added later, agree how it enters the schedule and how the fee changes. Keep the schedule connected to the facility's equipment register and service records.
Separate planned maintenance from breakdown repairs
The WHO medical equipment maintenance programme overview distinguishes inspection, preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance. It also distinguishes performance checks from safety inspections. These categories are useful headings when asking what a service proposal actually covers.
Request a planned-work schedule for the listed assets, the basis for its intervals, and the deliverables from each visit. Ask separately whether fault diagnosis and corrective labour are included. Confirm how work outside the planned scope is quoted and who at the facility can authorise it.
Make parts and other charges visible
- Are replacement parts included, capped at a stated amount or charged separately?
- Which consumables, batteries, probes and accessories are excluded?
- Are travel, accommodation, freight and return transport included?
- Are specialist tests, software access or manufacturer support charged separately?
- What assessment fee applies if a repair is declined or a part is unavailable?
Ask for the approval process before additional expenditure. A part-order estimate should identify the item, price, expected lead time and what happens if the proposed replacement cannot be sourced. Avoid treating an estimated arrival date as a guaranteed repair date.
Define what response time means
Distinguish acknowledgement of a fault, remote assessment, an on-site visit and restoration to service. Specify business hours, the reporting channel, escalation contact and the point from which each agreed time is measured. These are different milestones and should not be compressed into a single promise to “respond quickly”.
For critical equipment, the facility should plan continuity of care with its clinical team. Ask whether a loan unit is available and under what terms, but do not assume that a maintenance fee includes one. Record any limits created by distance, parts availability or access to the site.
Clarify cross-border support before signing
For a facility in Juba or elsewhere in South Sudan, state the exact location and receiving contact. Ask whether support is provided locally, through scheduled travel or by returning the equipment to Kampala. Allocate responsibility for packaging, transport, border paperwork and insurance where applicable.
Confirm who coordinates access, utilities and a suitable work area during a visit. If equipment must leave the facility, agree a custody record and return-acceptance process. Our Kampala-to-Juba buying guide can help frame the associated logistics questions.
Agree evidence of completed work
Require a report tied to the asset identifier, describing findings, work completed, parts fitted, checks performed and outstanding actions. Identify who reviews the report and authorises return to use through the facility's process. Include relevant test results and the next planned action where applicable.
Before renewal, compare completed visits, unresolved faults, downtime and additional charges with the agreed scope. This gives the facility a practical basis for adjusting coverage rather than simply repeating last year's fee.
Ask Exper to confirm a service scope
Exper's biomedical engineering and maintenance enquiry service starts with your equipment details and support needs. Send the asset schedule, location, known faults, current warranty position and requested coverage to info.brandexper@gmail.com, or call +256 756 789 821. Ask the team to confirm supported models, assessment requirements, exclusions and pricing in writing.