No biomedical engineering policy means no sustainability in health systems: perspective through a case of local biomedical training program in Tanzania.

Abstract

While the significance of strengthening the biomedical workforce in resource-limited settings has been widely acknowledged, there remains a paucity of information specific to the local context. In this regard, we underscore the importance of formulating a biomedical engineering policy based on empirical evidence. To provide such evidence, we conducted an analysis of the government-led biomedical training program in Tanzania, titled 'Capacity Enhancement of Medical Equipment Technical Services (CEOMETS)'. The program demonstrated statistically significant outcomes at the individual level, as evidenced by a T-test comparing pre- and post-self-assessments of self-efficacy indicators from 2018 to 2022 (n=121) (***p < 0.001). However, the program's impact was largely confined to individual-level capacity building, with limited effects at the systemic level. The findings also revealed substantial structural and institutional gaps, as well as a lack of engagement from global stakeholders and key actors in the field of biomedical engineering. From this perspective, therefore, we emphasize the necessity of two key preconditions. First, on a national level, there is an urgent need to develop strategic plans, guidelines, and workforce policies that formally integrate biomedical engineers into efforts to strengthen the health system in Tanzania. The other arm is a way to call for action to the global health players to engage more actively in supporting biomedical engineering development in such contexts. Ultimately, this perspective paper aims to set a milestone in establishing the policy-making process regarding biomedical engineering as a health policy issue in Tanzania.