post of electrical engineer in hospital

I've done a fair amount of design work for medical institutions and in fact have sold some of our medical instruments round the world to different hospitals...

The technicians in most of the hospitals I've talked to seem to have a good grasp of what needs to be done to not just service and repair instruments, but also to enquire about specific requirements that they / their hospital needs.

So I've a good deal of respect for these technicians / engineers, most I've spoken to know exactly what the doctors need and can speak to outsiders, such as myself, in my language as well as in terms that are much more practical...

That is a doctor may well ask for something which is costly or extremely difficult to design in, speaking with one of these electrical technicians soon helps clear up what the doctor actually wants as opposed to what he thinks he wants!!!

As to what level you should intervene on, I guess that the answer is more complex and depends on individual circumstances...

John.

Hello,

I worked as a biomechanical engineer in a large US hospital for some time and I can share those observations. It largely depends on your area of expertise and which specialty you get involved in. For example, an ENT department may include an EE as part of their surgical team as they do cochlear implants. On the other hand, the orthopedics department probably has little need of an EE. A significant number of doctors get undergraduate engineering degrees, particularly in EE.

The main point that I see is the ever-increasing level of instrumentation in all areas and the need for engineer/technicians to build and maintain that equipment. Don't make a big point of distinguishing between engineers and technicians; that is no longer very important.

You should not expect to be able to make any medical decisions in the US.

By definition I don't see haw you can 'intervene in medical matters' if you are not medically qualified. You could advise on electronic/electrical matters.

My only dealings wth EBME departments was when getting instruments approved..I remember one guy who was an over zealous imbecile. e.g.

An illuminated rocker switch was used to turn on/off a piece of equipment..it also had the usual I and O markings.

He wanted to reject it because the O wasn't circular!!!

I said the fact that the switch illuminated when on was visible indication that it was on. If if he recognised the O symbol then it must be adequate...If he couldn't recognise it then it was merely a decorative symbol and therefore didn't 'fail'.

He then reluctantly passed it. He was renowned as a pain in the a**e.

Don't get me wrong ... electrical safety is vital in a hospital.

"up to what level do we intervene in medical matters ?" - Zero to minus level.

The hart is a pump. But knowing about pumps do not qualify me to performing open hart surgery.

Hello Hendrik,

You're absolutely correct! I've been told that cardiac surgeons were the first medical group to seriously include engineers in developing a treatment. They brought in some hydraulics guys who were able to look at the heart and aorta, etc. and say "Well, it looks like this kind of pump, and it should have that flow, and so on". Out of that sucess, neurologists brought in control systems guys, and pulmonologists included fluid people and so on.

My point is that everybody has a job to do and some kind of particular skill, and we should try to stay within what we know and are qualified to do. Although I better forget that thought or I'll wind up on welfare (dole) pretty quickly.

My experience is in hospital construction, remodel, and maintenance, and in those fields there is no need for a EE. Techs do all the work. EEs are on retainer for complex questions that techs cannot solve. None of this is remotely related to any medical advise.

For your career as a EE, decide if you want to stay at a facility such as this (facilities tend to have small frustrating budgets) or if you want job diversity and international travel by joining a large engineering contractor, engineering and construction contractor or perhaps an oil company in the central engineering group (not at a facility or you will be back to a tight budget that frustrates you). Those jobs are paying very high wages now and you see quite a lot of interesting challenges and places. I've been doing it for 30+ years.

Thanks for such divers opinions and somehow very much focus...See I don't have any bio knowledge, I therefore don't venture in medical matters as such but I do carry out researches on the net and with catalogues I can produce specifications (not complex though) for the hospital with the client requirements. Example specs for a 750lt Autoclave or Scialytic lamps with satellite. However the hospital mostly count on 'us' for power and maintenance of electrical equipment, as for biomedical instruments, the biomedical teams are call upon for actions. But we do collaborate with the bio team. However as an electrical engineer my work is now 70% management and 30% technical. And I think that's sad...

************** Quote **************

By RYB

My question is

Q1. whether the job of electrical engineer is common in main or large hospitals around the world?

Q2. sometimes only technicians (electrical and mechanical), bioengineers and biotechnicians are required?

If the answer is positive,

Q3. what would be their scope of work or job definition...I mean up to what level do we intervene in medical matters or is it maintenance only?

****************** Quote Ends **************

It all depends on the Hospital Set-up. ie:

1.)

In a private Hospital you all know how they are run. They need maximum profit, minimum pay-out.

And else ...

2.)

Public Hospiatals are run by Tax-payers funds &/ or Social-Security subscriptions

[called in developed countries as Health/ Medical Insurance].

There conditions are well known by the publics, as the Cartells get max benifits & min employments.

3.)

I had been working with hospitals in Pakistan with contractors for Bio-Medical Eqpt repairs & Maintenance.

To differentiate between Hospiatal-Staff who actually operate the equipt or helps the doctors are Bio-Tchs & Engineering Staff which reoairs & Maintain it will be referred to as

"Elecro-Midical Staff"

As I recall Pakistan Army decided to set-up its own Biomedical Eqpt Repair Cell & got its Electronics Engineers & Technicians qualified on the Major Eqpt in Miltrary Hospitals by the collaboration of a major-supplier- Firm. Progressed in training to most sophisticated Eqpt.

Hostals were using large variety of say; X-rays, Diagonostics, Dental, Pathology, Patient-monitoring, physio-therapy etc etc, including almost all the branches.

This made a mess for Maintenance Staff as the literature / tools / Test-Equpt was impossible to get.

Later-on some where in 70s, it was decided by authorities that:

a. Uniformity in Equipt be maintained to facillitate training of Bio-Techs & "Elecro-Midical Staff"

b. Supplier firm should arrange the training of Bio-Techs & "Elecro-Midical Staff"

theory, on-the -job-training and will associated "Elecro-Midical Staff" on major installation of Major X-Ray plants including set-up for Cardiac & Neuros on purchase.

&

c. Should recommend Fast-Runnung spares for 3 years to patially purchased alongwith equipt

and ensure costly Spares [such as HI-V Generators for X-ray plants for example] be supplied within reasonable time-frame [not more than 1 month] when demaded.

&

d. Should keep a share for training of "Elecro-Midical Staff" in their Internationl Training-setup.

This Policy made :

A big Finicial savings & On-the Spot Tech-Facillities to keep majority equipt in srvicce, which was not possible before this setup & had to wait for Firms Engineers to attend after weeks & large bills.

made a major "Elecro-Midical Staff" Work-force for the country's domestic requirements as well as for foriegn employments and hundreds working in Gulf-States.

Major Equipts out of service are at the disposal of "Elecro-Midical Staff" to repair by

"CANABOLIZATION" ie if more than 1 machines are out of service due to lack of spares, take out one assembly of one to the other to bring it in-service.

Q1. whether the job of electrical engineer is common in main or large hospitals around the world?

Of cource, all major Hospitals in Pakistan have.

Q2. sometimes only technicians (electrical and mechanical), bioengineers and biotechnicians are required?

Of cource all including "Electro-medical-Engg-Staff" are really needed.

The piont here is that the staff at the disposal of Hospital is the MOST- Valued ON THE SPOT available to rectify the problem.

Otherwise you have to wait for contractors' to come.

Q3. what would be their scope of work or job definition...I mean up to what level do we intervene in medical matters or is it maintenance only?

You cannot intervene but suggest & advise for the smooth running of equipt keeping all the pionts I briefly noted above.

"Electrical safety" is vital in a hospital & every Tech-Staff should be well aware of it & keep all the Equipts periodically checked & certified with date & Initials [Seal].

And Electromed_Staff wkg in Radiation Areas should wear Radiation-Badges & sent to Radition control auths for advise on dose taken

Very In=mportant

Enjoy.