The Condemnation Committee is a standing hospital committee responsible for the condemnation of materials which are no longer useful in the Hospital. The committee has issued a series of guidelines relating to condemnation and disposal of equipment that has turned obsolete. The committee should examine parameters like life of the equipment according to manufacturers’ description, uneconomical repairable condition of the equipment as certified by the service agency and disposable value of the items proposed for condemnation.

Scope

Applicable for all materials in the Hospital which includes but are not limited to

• Furniture – wooden, steel or any other material
• Biomedical Equipments
• Electrical/ Electronic Appliances including Computer Hardware
• Instruments
• Plastic Items
• Construction Material
• Steel/ Wood articles other than above-mentioned items
• Linen

Constitution of the committee

• Accounts Manager
• Biomedical engineer
• Maintenance in-charge
• Quality & Operations Manager
• IT Manager
• Nursing Superintendent
• Medical services in-charge

The chairman shall have the authority to invite any non-member to attend the meeting, if it is deemed fit in relation to any matter being/ or to be deliberated by the committee.

Quorum

• The minimum quorum for passing any resolution in the committee is more than 50%.

Following members to be mandatorily present in the committee to pass a resolution

1. Chairman

Frequency of meeting

• Members of the committee meet as and when necessary.

Selection of members

• Chairperson – Selected by the chairman of Apex Committee
• Secretary – Selected by the chairperson, he or she is also a member of the committee
• Members – Selected by the chairperson

Responsibilities

Guidelines for condemnation:

• Equipment/ Furniture:
• Completed the life span, not in working condition and beyond economic repair
• Cannot be repaired; even if repaired maintenance cost exceeds more than 50% of the Equipment
• Completed the life span and the technology is obsolete

Construction material

• Cannot be used anywhere else
• There is no requirement of such material in the near future
• Short expiry date – no project/ maintenance work within that period

Plastic items

• Cannot be repaired
• Cannot be used

Paper/Stationery

• Has exceeded retention period
• Has no reason to believe that it may be useful in future for statistics/ to answer queries
• Not a part of Patient Case File
• Old Stationery which is not in use

Linen

• Completed life span
• Cannot be repaired to use

Mode of disposal

• Buy Back by the supplier
• Transfer to some other center
• Disposal as scrap material

Scrutiny of materials for disposal

• Department head/ In-Charge will bring to the notice of Biomedical Engineer or Maintenance regarding the non-working condition of the equipment/ furniture
• In cases of plastic/ steel/ wood consumables, Stores will be contacted to check if such materials are requested by any other department/s or it can be repaired and used.
• Advice from any other department/ expert can be sought while scrutinizing the need for disposal of materials.

Procedure for disposal

• The procedure of Disposal/ Condemnation will be carried out on need basis based on the quantity of materials to be disposed of, the Chairperson of the Condemnation Committee can take decision on having the procedure carried out on a need basis frequency and communicate the same to all concerned.
• Chairperson of the Committee will go through the list and shares the same with the Committee Members through a meeting.
• Committee decides on the mode of Disposal.
• Depending on the mode of disposal the appropriate protocol will be followed.
• All departments will be asked to send the materials approved for disposal to the Stores Department
• Vendor/s will pick up the material.

Buyback protocol

• The supplier will inform the availability of latest technology/ user department requests for up-gradation.
• Department head contacts the Purchase Department, from where all the formalities of rate negotiation will be completed.
• The price of the material bought back will be deducted from the Invoice or through Credit Note.
• Biomedical/Maintenance department accordingly makes changes in the Asset ID.

Sale to other hospitals

• The operations team will decide the sale to other hospitals.
• Purchase department will start the formalities required for such transfer that may include Transport Insurance,
• Approvals from the appropriate public authority, etc.
• Arrangements for logistics will be made by the Purchase Department.
• Accounts personnel taking care of the concerned hospital will be informed and transfer of Assets done accordingly.

Disposal as scrap material

The Condemnation Committee initiates the disposal as scrap. The steps involved are as follows:

• Preparation for bidding
• Initiation of tender
• Opening of tender
• Analysis and evaluation of tender/bids.
• Selection of the highest tender/bids
• Issue of sales release order
• Release of condemned products.
• Sale account to be prepared and finalized

In cases decommissioning of equipment involving radioactive source

• In cases of equipment involving Radioactivity, the appropriate protocols stated by AERB must be followed for decommissioning. For the condemnation of radioactive equipment approval of the RSO is also taken.
• The Purchase Department will coordinate with the concerned Radiation Safety Officer to complete the procedure.

Role of chairperson

• Acts as a liaison between the Condemnation Committee members and the apex committee chairperson
• Receives all the information pertaining to PTC and initiate necessary action as required.
• Keep oneself abreast with the recent developments in the field.

Role of secretary (Member Secretary)

• Prepare the agenda for the next meeting
• Submission for approval of agenda by the chairperson
• Inform the committee members regarding the next meeting at least 2 days before the meeting
• The minutes of the meeting shall be prepared by the secretary
• Get the approval of minutes by the chairperson
• Circulate the agenda approved by the chairperson to the members and the concerned persons
• To maintain all records ( as per list) related to the committee
• Submission of a copy of the agenda and the minutes of the meeting to the quality department after getting signature from all the concerned members

Agenda

• Agendas for the meeting shall be prepared by the secretary in consultation with the chair person and signed by the chair. Then it is sent to all committee members and other experts. The agenda shall be sent to all at least 2 days before the scheduled meeting.
• A meeting shall be called even by an oral / telephone communication in case of an emergency meeting. A justification for the emergency meeting has to be given.

Minutes

• Shall be prepared by secretary.
• MoMs send to the chairperson for the approval within three days of the meeting.
• After the approval of the minutes by the chairperson, the approved minutes are circulated within 2 days of the meeting to all the committee members and the person concerned for implementation.
• A copy of the agenda and minutes of every meeting shall be sent to the quality manager by the member secretary

Decision making

• A thorough discussion of the agenda shall be done by the committee members and based on their suggestion and recommendations the issue shall be weighed. Also as and when needed any kind of trial study may be performed and based on the outcome of it the committee will decide on that issue.
• The decision of the committee will be finally taken by a majority vote and that shall be implemented.

Records to be maintained

• List and details of all members
• The TOR of the committee
• Copy of all agendas, minutes of all meeting
• Attendance sheet
• Copy of any other correspondence to the committee members or non-members
• Copy of any study conducted for the sake of the committee