Decommissioned equipment and ambulances sent as part of HSE donations policy

Decommissioned ambulances and diathermy machines were among the equipment the HSE provided last year under its international donations policy.

According to the Executive’s Donation of Medical Equipment and Supplies – Annual Report 2023, the donations included repurposed surplus stock, decommissioned equipment, and ambulances no longer in use.

The donations contributed “to our obligations in minimising waste”, according to the annual report seen by the Medical Independent (MI) following a Freedom of Information request.

The document outlined the total book value of donations in 2023, which amounted to €98,092. A separate commercial value is given to each donation in accordance with international shipping requirements and to reflect the value of the contribution. The commercial value for donations in 2023 was €2,480,109.

Book value reflects the historical cost of an asset minus depreciation, while commercial value represents the current market price that buyers are willing to pay.

In 2023, 10 40-foot containers of equipment, medical supplies and beds, and four ambulances, were sent to Ukraine.  In addition, three 40-foot containers of equipment, medical supplies and beds were sent to Sudan, and two diathermy machines were sent to Malawi.

In May, MI reported that Sudan and Ukraine were the countries to which the HSE donated the most surplus equipment and supplies last year.

A HSE spokesperson told this newspaper that in 2021, it donated 1,630,530 items with a commercial value of €10,876,279. In 2022, it donated 5,241,165 items with a commercial value of €9,184,929.

“In 2023, donations consisted of decommissioned equipment, such as ambulances and beds no longer used in Ireland, but fully functional for use in the recipient country; medical supplies such as gauze and bandages and PPE [personal protective equipment].”

The spokesperson confirmed that 2023 was the first year in which an annual report was required under the HSE donations policy. The policy covers the donation of medical equipment and supplies to developing countries and other countries in crisis.

The policy, which came into effect in January 2023, is the HSE’s first to cover this area. The HSE has been donating reusable medical equipment to Zambia since 2014.