Sustainability is an asset that is in fashion. And one of the ways to encourage this principle is by worshiping the so-called New Economy, also known as the sharing economy. Perhaps not everyone knows what this concept means, but they have certainly experienced this new economic order that has been gaining ground at some point. Not by chance, large companies have been joining the trend, including hospitals and clinics.
The logic is simple. Why buy a car to commute to work if you can hitchhike using an app? Someone who lives alone in a large house can earn money by renting out one of the unused rooms. A person who needs a hammer to nail a picture can borrow it from a neighbor instead of buying one to use just that one time.
These are simple attitudes in our daily lives, but which have been generating huge savings and, with that, invading increasingly orthodox sectors. In the case of hospitals and clinics, this movement has been the choice to rent hospital equipment instead of buying it, as it had happened until then. And this movement has reached a trend level that goes far beyond the borders of Brazil.
This is what the report developed by Market Reports World, a company specializing in global market analysis, points out. The study shows that the medical equipment leasing market grew in 20 countries after the pandemic, and the scenario will remain rigorously with this trend for at least the next 5 years. In addition to Brazil, rentals also grew in the United States, Canada, the main European and Asian economies and neighboring countries in South America, such as Argentina and Chile.
This movement represents a paradigm shift that lasted for decades. Hospitals were in the habit of buying new equipment frequently, maintaining super high acquisition and maintenance costs. This, of course, has always had an impact on the value passed on to patients for consultations, exams and medical procedures.
In addition, hospitals have been in a vicious and unbroken circle of replacing purchased equipment from time to time to keep up with advances in medicine. And now, in the pandemic, health institutions that did not move their foot in preference to purchase suffered to get the necessary devices, given the high demand from manufacturers.
All these factors are pulverized before the change in mentality, including the problem of seasonality. An example happened at the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020. The high number of people infected with the new coronavirus forced hospitals to quickly equip themselves with lung ventilators, vital signs monitors, infusion pumps and electrocardiograms to deal with all cases .
There was great difficulty in purchasing such equipment. But leasing, in addition to reducing bureaucracy in the acquisition process, offers faster delivery, and technical assistance – one of the main hospital costs – is already provided for in the contract. And, of course, it offers more devices available for immediate delivery, allowing the institution to quickly overcome demand.
Furthermore, this sustainability bias contributes to the image of health institutions, revealing a positive relationship with the environment. And, of course, it generates a significant reduction in expenses that can be reverted to expanding access to hospital services offered by each location.
There is no denying the amount of benefits that come to light with the New Economy embedded in new management models in the health sector. May these institutions see in this a great opportunity to revolutionize patient care on a larger scale. Especially now, with the pandemic still in effect.
The author is Marco Aurélio Marques Félix, CEO and founder of Cmos Drake, medical equipment manufacturer - cmosdrake@cmosdrake.com.br
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