Medical Equipment Management and Failure Factors in Ethiopian Teaching Hospitals: A Survey-Based Study of Systemic Challenges and Operational Gaps

Abstract Background: Frequent failures of medical equipment and poor management practices remain major obstacles to effective clinical service delivery in developing countries. This study examines the key factors contributing to medical equipment failure and the common challenges in equipment management system within Ethiopian hospital settings, aiming to inform national policy makers and enhancing the performance of healthcare technology management in the healthcare ecosystem. Method: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 2024 in seven university hospitals in Ethiopia. The study assessed medical equipment management and key factors contributing to equipment failure using structured data collection tools and a double data entry process to ensure accuracy. Trained personnel collected data across all sites. The result was reported using descriptive statistics. Result: This study investigated core challenges related to medical equipment management and cause of equipment failure across study sites. Among the identified causes of equipment failure, delays in spare part procurement (100% hospital agreed), emerged as the most critical issue in Ethiopian teaching hospitals. This was followed by shortage of maintenance budgets, absence of spare parts, and maintenance skill gap each reported by 85.71% of the hospitals. Electric Power fluctuations and a lack of training (57.14%), equipment mishandling by users (more than 50%) and inadequate maintenance tools contains (28.57%). Conclusion: This study highlights critical shortcomings in medical equipment management in Ethiopian teaching hospitals, identifying key technical and organizational factors contributing to equipment failure. Addressing challenges such as spare part shortages, limited maintenance budgets, inadequate technical capacity, power fluctuations, and inefficient procurement practices is essential for improving equipment reliability and clinical service delivery. The findings emphasize the need for systemic and nationwide reforms to improve equipment utilization, strengthen healthcare infrastructure and service quality.