Modern Medicine relies heavily on technically complex equipment. Such equipment is not just supplied but has to be procured by the doctors like us in civic and government institutes. The process is quite complex. One part of it is to provide technical specifications of the equipment, so that vendors can bid in tenders only if their equipment is appropriate. It also maintains uniformity in all bids and prices can be compared correctly. It is the job of the engineers and doctors to prepare the specifications. They are called to the tender meetings to answer any questions related to the specifications. Unfortunately the administrators are in the habit of asking the doctors about the technical specifications, and if they cannot give satisfactory answers, they are held responsible for the deficiencies.
We had a pre-bid meeting where I was called for a high pressure sterilizer that we needed. The vendors were present and some of them raised questions about allegedly contradictory specifications.
"How do you explain the discrepancy" the administrator in charge asked me. I had suffered such trauma in past, had thought about it a lot and had my answer ready.
"I don't know the answer because I am a doctor. I am not trained to understand engineering. I just know that the stuff coming out of the autoclave should be sterile. Technical details like valves, chips, circuits, cycles, automation are prepared by engineers, who should answer this question."
There was a brief period of silence in which they digested this answer the like of which they had not heard any time in past.
"He is right, you know!" said a committee member with a note of wonder in her voice. "
"Yes. He should just have clinical requirements, and technical specifications should be provided by the engineer" another member said.
"Yes, yes" others chorused.
Then they asked the engineer his opinion.
"I did not make these specifications. Another engineer did" he said.
"But give us your opinion as an engineer" the administrator said.
"I have no exposure to this equipment" he said. So they expected a doctor to answer technical questions that an engineer could not answer. The doctors present were relieved that they need not know technical details henceforth.
We had a pre-bid meeting where I was called for a high pressure sterilizer that we needed. The vendors were present and some of them raised questions about allegedly contradictory specifications.
"How do you explain the discrepancy" the administrator in charge asked me. I had suffered such trauma in past, had thought about it a lot and had my answer ready.
"I don't know the answer because I am a doctor. I am not trained to understand engineering. I just know that the stuff coming out of the autoclave should be sterile. Technical details like valves, chips, circuits, cycles, automation are prepared by engineers, who should answer this question."
There was a brief period of silence in which they digested this answer the like of which they had not heard any time in past.
"He is right, you know!" said a committee member with a note of wonder in her voice. "
"Yes. He should just have clinical requirements, and technical specifications should be provided by the engineer" another member said.
"Yes, yes" others chorused.
Then they asked the engineer his opinion.
"I did not make these specifications. Another engineer did" he said.
"But give us your opinion as an engineer" the administrator said.
"I have no exposure to this equipment" he said. So they expected a doctor to answer technical questions that an engineer could not answer. The doctors present were relieved that they need not know technical details henceforth.
