EASE Ghana launches equipment solutions for healthcare providers
Equipment-as-a-Service (EASE) Ghana, a cost-effective equipment solutions provider, has launched its operations in the country by installing a computed tomography (CT) scanner for FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital at Pantang in Accra.
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A subsidiary of the African Asset Finance Company (AAFC), the firm uses the pay-per-use model to address equipment needs of health facilities, where the institutions pay as and when they use the equipment.
Under the arrangement, FOCOS Hospital did not pay for the CT scanner but will be able to use it to diagnose patients and pay charges after each use.
Apart from Ghana, the company operates its model in Nigeria and Ethiopia.
EASE and its parent company, AAFC, plan to install $75 million worth of equipment in Ghana.
The launch in the country was attended by many dignitaries including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPC), Yofi Grant.
The Managing Director of EASE Ghana, Dr Kanyinsola Oyeyinka, said the firm’s business model was a service that allowed health facilities to have access to critical health equipment and also replace obsolete ones, without capital outlay.
“EASE will purchase equipment needed by our customer — a CT scanner or MRI scanner for example — and place it in our customer’s facility for an agreed contract period.
Within that time, through our pay-per-use model, the customer will use the cash flows generated by the equipment to pay for its use,” she explained.
Dr Oyeyinka said the company did not require collateral from customers, adding that the model enabled equipment cost to be recorded as operating expenditure rather than capital expenditure.
Public sector
The managing director stressed the company’s commitment in collaborating with the public sector to make available medical equipment to enhance public health delivery.
“We hope that we can work with both the ministries of Health and Finance to roll out our service which will allow public sector hospitals to gain access to modern medical equipment, without the significant capital expense required for outright purchase,” Dr Oyeyinka stated.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the parent company, AAFC, Frans VanSchaik, explained that apart from providing the equipment, EASE Ghana would also take care of the maintenance cost.
“We make sure that it is insured and maintained, and we train the operators on a regular basis,”he added.
Great initiative
The CEO of FOCOS Hospital, Dr Irene Wulff, said the intervention by EASE Ghana had saved the hospital a great deal of money which would have been used to purchase a new CT scanner and also maintain it.
She said the hospital spent about GH¢600,000 to fix its CT scanner when it broke down.
Dr Wulff said when the machine broke down again, the hospital decided to buy a new one, but had to put that on hold due to the cost which ranged from $750,000 to $ 1.2 million.
“EASE Ghana came in and gave us a deal of a lifetime and we are honoured to be its first customer in Ghana,” she said.
For his part, Mr Grant lauded the equipment company for introducing its services in the country to help health facilities to operate effectively and promote healthcare delivery.