Djerba’s Sadok Mokaddem regional hospital has refused to receive a donation of used medical equipment (resuscitation beds and various equipment) sent by Tunisians from abroad as part of a citizen initiative.
The hospital director justifies this refusal by the obsolescence of equipment and the risk of ending up with unusable equipment, impossible to eliminate legally as a donation. He specifies that only new equipment is now accepted, with the agreement of the supervision.
For their part, donors assure that the equipment is in good condition and that other public hospitals in Tunis, Ariana, Nabeul and Kef have already received it without problem, with the approval of the Ministry of Health and the Presidency of the Government. The decision arouses incomprehension within civil society.
This refusal raises questions: should we systematically reject used medical equipment, even functional, in a context of equipment shortage? For donors, this gesture was to meet a need and support state efforts in improving health services. For the administration of the hospital, regulatory rigor prevails, especially since donation management can be complex.
