Paper 3D Printing to Supplement Rural Healthcare Supplies — What Do Healthcare Facilities Want?

For the last two years a team of researchers have been testing the feasibility of supplementing Kenyan rural health care supply chains using localized, plastic filament, low cost, FDM 3D printing. In this paper, we explore which parts are the most likely candidates for such manufacturing. A 2014 study of Kenyan health care facilities showed that they carried, on average, only 77% of the equipment that the World Health Organization lists as necessary. However, this number drops even lower to 60% when examining Kenyan dispensaries (the designated first point of contact for Kenyans with medical needs and typically the only option in the most rural settings) with some dispensaries carrying as little as 23% of the necessary medical equipment (Institute for Health Metrics, 2014). Much of the drive for this problem comes from the long, expensive, or nonexistent supply chains for these health care facilities. Based upon data from eight rural hospitals of varying sizes in Kisumu, Kenya, researchers identified four classes of products across four categories of use that can benefit to varying degrees from low-volume, localized manufacturing using 3D printing. 3D printing can be used for innovative, low volume specialty parts; bridging the gap when traditionally supplied parts experience a shortage between deliveries; making replacement parts for broken or worn out components; and customizing products, especially to human fit. These types of parts were most requested for fixing existing medical equipment, especially equipment beyond its service life; products that see single use or temporal use; anatomical models for teaching or surgical preparation; and occupational or physical therapy. This paper goes on to detail and identify factors for desirable and viable parts in low resource health care settings.