Medical equipment management challenges in Ethiopian teaching hospitals: a cross-sectional study of systemic and operational gaps in health technology

Frequent medical equipment failures and poor management practices including delayed maintenance, spare-part shortages, inadequate training, and inefficient procurement are associated with equipment downtime, delayed care, and reduced service availability in Ethiopia. This study describes factors associated with equipment failure in teaching hospitals to inform policy and improve healthcare technology performance. A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2024 across seven Ethiopian university hospitals. Data were collected using structured tools with double entry verification, and descriptive statistical analyses were performed, with variables treated as descriptive indicators rather than as independent or dependent variables. This study identifies several challenges in medical equipment management and gaps in healthcare technology, which were associated with frequent equipment failures and disruptions to clinical service delivery. The main factor associated with equipment failure (malfunction) was delayed spare-part procurement 7/7 (100%), followed by budget shortages, lack of spare parts, and skill gaps, all comprising 6/7 (85.71%). Other reported factors included power fluctuations and shortage of capacity training (5/7), equipment mishandling, and inadequate maintenance tools in hospitals. Ethiopian teaching hospitals face technical and organizational challenges in medical equipment management. Addressing spare-part shortages, budget constraints, skill gaps, power fluctuations, and procurement inefficiencies is essential to improving equipment reliability and service delivery, underscoring the need for systemic, policy based reforms in healthcare technology management.