Onsite biomedical engineers and PACS administrators
Scope, project management & OEM documentation
Biomedical & IT teams deployed nationwide
Dedicated service desk for Nigerian facilities
Biomedical Staffing Augmentation Service is the strategic placement of certified biomedical engineers and technicians into your facility to supplement your in-house team, manage specific equipment, or execute entire maintenance projects. This service is essential for tertiary hospitals, large private clinics, diagnostic centres, and NGO-supported health facilities that face challenges with staff shortages, skill gaps for complex equipment like a Siemens Artis Q ceiling C-Arm, project backlogs, or the need to meet stringent donor reporting requirements. It directly solves the problem of having a multi-million Naira GE Healthcare Optima CT680 scanner sitting idle due to a lack of specialized, on-site expertise, ensuring you maximize patient throughput and return on investment. By embedding qualified personnel, you gain operational continuity, reduce equipment downtime, and free your core staff to focus on clinical duties.
Ad-hoc support for a single engineer costs between NGN 80,000 - NGN 250,000 per day, excluding travel and parts. Bundled Preventive Maintenance (PM) contracts for a cluster of equipment start from NGN 300,000 - NGN 1,500,000 monthly. A fully outsourced turnkey service for an entire department, like a radiology or pathology unit, can range from NGN 2,000,000 - NGN 10,000,000+ per month. Cost is driven by the equipment mix (servicing a Philips IntelliVue MP70 monitor is less complex than a CT scanner), travel logistics to remote states, the level of documentation required for donor agencies, urgency of the request, and whether parts and regulatory compliance (like NNRA filings) are included.
Franance offers transparent, tiered pricing models that align with your budget and operational needs, ensuring no hidden costs.
The cheapest ad-hoc service from an independent technician can cost as low as NGN 50,000 - NGN 100,000 per visit for basic troubleshooting, but this typically excludes travel, parts, formal documentation, and any performance guarantee. This price point often means you are engaging a freelancer who may lack the calibrated tools, professional indemnity insurance, and access to genuine OEM parts required for a compliant and reliable repair. The hidden costs manifest as extended downtime when the initial fix fails, potential damage to sensitive electronics from improper handling, and zero recourse if the equipment underperforms post-service.
Franance’s structured approach, even for single visits, guarantees documented work and accountability, protecting your asset's value.
An affordable, value-optimized service bundle typically costs between NGN 400,000 and NGN 2,000,000 per month, combining scheduled preventive maintenance with a set number of emergency call-outs and remote support. This model delivers affordability by creating efficiency. Instead of paying high ad-hoc rates for unpredictable failures, you get a planned service schedule. Scheduled routes allow the provider to service multiple facilities in one trip, drastically reducing the travel cost passed on to you. Remote triage via video call can resolve up to 30% of issues without a site visit, saving you both time and money.
Explore Franance’s customizable service bundles to find a plan that delivers maximum value for your budget.
An Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC), covering only labour, typically costs 5-8% of the equipment's original value annually. A Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC), covering labour and all non-consumable parts, costs significantly more, ranging from 10-18% of the equipment's value annually. The choice depends on your risk appetite and budget predictability. An AMC offers a lower upfront cost, but you bear the financial risk of expensive part failures, such as an X-ray tube replacement which can cost millions of Naira. A CMC provides complete peace of mind and a fixed annual budget, making it ideal for critical equipment and government or NGO procurement where budget variations are difficult to manage.
| Feature | Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) | Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 5-8% of asset value | 10-18% of asset value |
| Labour | Included | Included |
| Spare Parts | Excluded (Client pays per part) | Included (All non-consumables) |
| Cash Flow | Unpredictable | Predictable (Fixed annual cost) |
| Uptime Guarantee | Basic response time SLA | High uptime guarantee (e.g., 98%) with penalties |
| Best For | Lower-cost, non-critical equipment | High-value, critical equipment (CT, MRI, ICU) |
Franance can model the total cost of ownership under both AMC and CMC scenarios to help you make an data-driven decision.
Request a detailed, no-obligation quote from Franance today to see how our tailored staffing augmentation can improve your equipment uptime and operational efficiency.
You can find providers concentrated in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, but reputable firms offer nationwide coverage. The selection process should start with a verification of the provider's corporate and technical credentials. Insist on due diligence beyond a simple quotation. Verify their CAC/RC registration to ensure they are a legitimate Nigerian entity. Ask for proof of OEM accreditation or training certificates for the specific equipment models in your facility. A provider servicing a Siemens Healthineers MRI must show evidence of training from Siemens. Franance simplifies this by pre-vetting all network engineers, verifying their certifications, and ensuring they are insured before they are ever assigned to your facility.
Franance provides a fully vetted and managed network of engineers, saving you the time and risk of due diligence.
Franance provides OEM-certified biomedical staffing augmentation across all 36 states from our hubs in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano, covering everything from basic patient monitors to complex MRI and CT systems. We operate as a single, accountable partner, managing a network of vetted specialists to deliver a consistent, high-quality service. Our model integrates multiple layers to ensure reliability and transparency, from the engineer on-site to the data on your dashboard.
The best providers are those with documented proof of OEM certification, a strong engineer-to-site ratio ensuring rapid deployment, and a digital reporting system that provides you with transparent performance data. Look beyond marketing claims and ask for evidence. The best firms have a deep portfolio of experience with your specific brands and models, whether it's Dräger anaesthesia machines or Roche diagnostic analyzers. They invest heavily in their engineers' continuous training and in modern, calibrated instrumentation. Their reporting is not just an invoice; it's a detailed analysis of work done, parts used, and performance verification results, all accessible via a digital platform.
A standard Scope of Work (SOW) includes a detailed asset list, specific maintenance tasks per device, agreed response times, clear deliverables like service reports and performance certificates, and a defined project timeline. The SOW is the most critical document in your service agreement. It must be granular and unambiguous. For a CT scanner, it should specify tasks like gantry cleaning, detector calibration, and X-ray tube performance tests. The process typically follows distinct phases, from initial assessment to final handover, ensuring nothing is missed.
The process begins with an on-site asset audit and tagging, followed by the creation of a tailored maintenance plan based on OEM recommendations and international standards like IEC 60601. Engineers then execute tasks using calibrated instruments, with all data captured digitally via a mobile application that syncs with a central CMMS. This methodology ensures that every action is standardized, traceable, and documented. For radiation-emitting equipment, the methodology must incorporate NNRA safety protocols. Pass/fail thresholds are not subjective; they are based on the manufacturer's precise specifications, ensuring your equipment performs exactly as intended.
A typical multi-tiered Service Level Agreement (SLA) offers: Critical (e.g., ICU ventilator, theatre anaesthesia machine) response within 2-4 hours; Urgent (e.g., main laboratory analyzer, central sterile supply department autoclave) response within 8-12 hours; and Routine (e.g., ward patient monitor, ECG machine) response within 24-48 hours. The SLA must differentiate between "response time" (when the engineer contacts you or arrives) and "resolution time" (when the equipment is back in service). A strong SLA includes a commitment to a high uptime percentage (e.g., 98% for critical assets) and outlines clear penalty clauses, such as service credits, for failure to meet these targets.
Franance provides a transparent, tiered SLA with real-time performance tracking available 24/7 on your client dashboard.
You will receive a detailed digital service report for every intervention, a Certificate of Performance Verification after each PM, and an updated asset register, all accessible through a client portal. This documentation is your proof of compliance and due diligence. Service reports should be comprehensive, including the work performed, parts replaced (with serial numbers), engineer's findings, and performance test results. Certificates for electrical safety testing and calibration provide auditable proof that your equipment is safe for patient and staff use. For donor-funded projects, this level of documentation is non-negotiable for reporting and audits.
Compliance involves ensuring your service provider has the necessary corporate registrations (CAC), that engineers are aware of equipment-specific rules from NAFDAC (for devices and their consumables), SON (for standards), and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) for radiation-emitting devices, and that all work adheres to international standards like IEC/ISO. For instance, servicing any X-ray, CT, or mammography machine requires that the service company and its engineers hold a valid license from the NNRA. Imported spare parts must comply with SONCAP regulations. A professional provider will manage this compliance burden for you, ensuring all paperwork is correctly filed and all procedures meet regulatory scrutiny.
A standard Preventive Maintenance (PM) schedule involves quarterly or bi-annual visits where engineers perform a series of checks, calibrations, and parts replacements according to the OEM service manual, with all tasks logged digitally. The goal of PM is to prevent failures before they happen. This includes replacing parts with a known lifespan (like batteries, filters, and seals), cleaning and lubricating mechanical components, and recalibrating sensors and outputs to ensure clinical accuracy. A digital log, accessible via your CMMS portal, provides a complete and auditable history of all PM activities for each asset.
The emergency repair process starts with a call to a dedicated 24/7 hotline, followed by immediate remote triage within 30 minutes. If unresolved, an engineer is dispatched to arrive within the SLA window (e.g., 4 hours for critical equipment in Lagos or Abuja). The triage workflow is key to fast resolution. An expert on the phone can guide your on-site staff through basic checks, often resolving the issue or providing the dispatched engineer with critical information to bring the right tools and parts on the first visit. This "first visit fix" approach is a key metric of an efficient service provider.
Availability of common spare parts is critical, with reputable providers holding local stock for high-failure items, resulting in a 24-48 hour lead time for delivery to your site. Specialized parts, such as a magnet for an MRI or a detector for a CT scanner, may take 2-4 weeks to import, factoring in international shipping and Nigerian customs clearance. It is crucial to insist on genuine OEM parts to ensure compatibility, performance, and safety. Using non-authentic parts can void your equipment's warranty and introduce significant clinical risk. A professional provider will manage the entire logistics chain, from sourcing to customs to final delivery.
Training typically involves a 2-4 hour on-site session for clinical users and your in-house technicians after any major repair or new installation, covering proper operation, basic troubleshooting, and cleaning protocols. The handover is not complete until your team is confident in using the equipment. Training should be role-based: nurses and doctors learn the clinical application and user interface, while your technicians learn first-line maintenance checks and how to clearly articulate a fault when calling for support. This reduces user-error-related service calls and empowers your team.
A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) provides a real-time digital inventory of all your assets, tracking their maintenance history, status, and key performance indicators (KPIs) like uptime and Mean Time To Repair (MTTR). The process starts with a physical audit where every piece of equipment is tagged with a unique QR code or barcode. This tag is scanned by the engineer's mobile app during every service visit, automatically pulling up the asset's history and logging new activities. This gives you a powerful, transparent view of your entire equipment fleet from a single dashboard.
A power audit is a 1-2 day on-site process where an engineer uses a power quality analyzer to measure voltage, frequency, sags, swells, and harmonics at the equipment's power source. The outcome is a detailed report that recommends the correct kVA rating and type of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and/or voltage stabilizer required to protect your sensitive medical equipment. Given the instability of the power grid in Nigeria, this is one of the most important proactive steps you can take. Over 50% of electronic board failures are directly attributable to poor power quality. A proper audit ensures you invest in the right protection, not just a generic solution.
The relocation process for a major system like a CT scanner or MRI takes 5-10 working days and involves professional dismantling, specialized packaging, insured transport, reinstallation, and full performance verification and commissioning at the new site. This is a highly specialized task. The process must follow strict OEM procedures to prevent damage. It includes a pre-move survey of the new site to ensure power, space, and environmental requirements are met. After reinstallation, the system undergoes a full battery of tests (Performance Qualification) to certify it is operating to the same standard as it was before the move.
The deinstallation process is a 1-3 day activity that includes safe dismantling, data sanitization of patient information from hard drives, and documented disposal in compliance with local environmental (e.g., LASEPA in Lagos) and health regulations. For equipment containing hazardous materials, like lead in X-ray tubes or mercury in older devices, you must have a documented chain-of-custody to prove proper disposal. Data sanitization is critical to protect patient privacy and comply with data protection regulations. A professional provider will give you a certificate of data destruction as proof.
Quality control is a scheduled process, typically quarterly or semi-annually, where specific performance parameters of a device are tested against OEM specifications using calibrated phantoms and test equipment to ensure it is operating accurately and safely. This goes beyond a basic functional check. For a diagnostic ultrasound, it involves using an ultrasound phantom to verify image uniformity and spatial accuracy. For a defibrillator, it means verifying that the delivered energy in joules matches the setting on the dial. The results are trended over time to predict potential failures before they impact clinical use.
Electrical safety testing is an annual requirement where an engineer uses a specialized safety analyzer to test parameters like earth continuity, insulation resistance, and leakage currents, as mandated by the international IEC 60601 standard. This is a fundamental safety requirement for any patient-connected device. The test ensures there is no risk of electric shock to patients or staff during normal use or in a fault condition. Upon successful completion, the device receives a "Tested for Electrical Safety" sticker with the test date and next due date, and a detailed report is uploaded to your CMMS.
Key metrics tracked include equipment uptime percentage, Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), and SLA attainment rate. These are delivered in a monthly performance report and are accessible 24/7 via a real-time dashboard. These KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) transform maintenance from a cost centre into a measurable contributor to your hospital's operational efficiency. A low MTTR and high MTBF mean your equipment is reliable and your service provider is efficient. For a hospital director or donor, these metrics provide clear, objective evidence of the service's value.
Standard payment terms for contracts are quarterly or semi-annual payments in advance. For ad-hoc projects and major repairs, a 50-70% advance payment is common to cover mobilization and parts procurement, with the balance due upon job completion and your formal sign-off. For larger government or NGO contracts, a provider may be required to submit a performance bond from a reputable bank. Reputable providers like Franance can offer flexible payment structures, including financing options for significant contracts or unexpected, high-cost repairs, helping you manage your cash flow effectively.
Service is available nationwide, with the fastest response times in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano, where major providers have regional hubs and engineering teams. Service to other states and more remote locations is typically delivered through a hub-and-spoke model. Franance, for example, combines strategically located regional engineers for rapid emergency response with carefully planned, scheduled routes for preventive maintenance in other areas. This approach optimizes logistics, reduces costs, and ensures that even facilities in states like Borno, Sokoto, or Bayelsa receive consistent, professional support, all coordinated through a central helpdesk.
Share your requirements for rollout, training and SLAs. Our service desk will prepare budgets, documentation and timelines aligned to your facility.
30+ Years
Experience delivering healthcare projects in Nigeria
OEM Certified
Biomedical & IT teams for installation, calibration & support
Nationwide
Coverage across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano & beyond
Honest answers about scope, pricing, delivery and support so you can plan with confidence.
A dedicated senior engineer for imaging equipment like a GE Optima CT660 costs ₦450,000-₦700,000 monthly, while a junior engineer for ward equipment costs ₦150,000-₦250,000. This fee covers salary, basic tools, and continuous professional development, eliminating your direct HR overhead. The model provides certified expertise without the long-term commitment of a direct hire.
A CMC includes all labour, spare parts, and consumables, offering a fixed annual cost for equipment like a Philips IntelliVue MP70 monitor. An AMC typically covers only labour and preventive maintenance, with spare parts billed separately. For high-usage equipment, a CMC provides predictable budgeting, while an AMC offers lower upfront costs but variable expenses for repairs.
Yes, bundled packages combine a dedicated engineer with a budget for common spare parts for specific equipment, like the X-ray tube for a Siemens Artis Q cath lab. This reduces procurement delays and downtime. For example, a package could include a full-time engineer plus a pre-approved credit line for critical components, ensuring immediate replacement when needed.
Payment is typically made monthly in advance for dedicated personnel. For project-based work, such as a multi-unit installation of Dräger Fabius anesthesia machines, a common structure is 50% upfront, 40% on completion, and 10% after a 30-day performance validation period. Flexible payment plans can be arranged for long-term contracts.
You can finance long-term contracts through specialized healthcare financing partners. For a 12-month contract covering multiple systems like GE Logiq E9 ultrasound machines, a provider like Franance can structure a plan with predictable monthly payments. This converts a large operational expense into a manageable, budgeted line item, preserving your capital for other investments.
The process starts with a needs assessment of your equipment inventory, like your fleet of Mindray BeneHeart D6 defibrillators. We then match you with a pre-vetted engineer with specific expertise within 7-10 business days. The engineer integrates into your team, reporting to your operations director but managed and paid by us. They handle all scheduled maintenance, repairs, and documentation.
A realistic SLA for critical equipment like a CT scanner or MRI in Lagos is a 4-hour response time and a 24-hour resolution target. For less critical ward equipment, such as patient monitors, a 6 to 8-hour response time is standard. The SLA should clearly define 'response' (engineer on-site) versus 'resolution' (equipment operational).
A biomedical engineer can be deployed to major hubs like Port Harcourt or Abuja within 48-72 hours for urgent needs. For a planned, long-term placement, the process from needs assessment to having an engineer on-site takes approximately 10-14 business days. This includes mobilization, initial site orientation, and handover from your existing team.
You should expect monthly performance reports detailing key metrics for each major asset, such as a Philips Affiniti 70 ultrasound. Reports include uptime percentage, number of preventive maintenance tasks completed, breakdown incidents, and mean time to repair (MTTR). This data helps you track equipment reliability and justify maintenance budgets.
After-hours support is managed through a tiered on-call system defined in the SLA. For a 24/7 facility, an augmented engineer assigned to your ICU's ventilators, like the Hamilton-C1, would have a designated on-call schedule. Escalation protocols ensure a backup engineer is available within a 2-hour window if the primary contact is unavailable.
We verify qualifications through a three-step process: checking academic certificates, confirming registration with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and conducting practical, hands-on tests on specific equipment models. An engineer assigned to a Siemens Somatom CT scanner must demonstrate proficiency in its specific calibration and troubleshooting procedures.
Our service provides nationwide coverage, with rapid deployment in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, and structured support for remote locations. While on-site response times in remote areas may be 24-48 hours, we use a hub-and-spoke model to station engineers regionally, ensuring faster service than a single-location provider for your facilities across different states.
If an engineer is not a good fit, we can provide a replacement within 5-7 business days at no additional cost. Our contracts include a performance clause that allows for a replacement request after an initial 30-day review period. This ensures you get the right technical skills and cultural fit for your team.
Yes, our service includes spare parts sourcing and logistics management. For a critical failure on a GE OEC 9900 Elite C-arm, our engineer diagnoses the issue, sources the required board, and manages installation. Through partners like Franance, we can also finance the purchase of expensive parts, like a new detector, spreading the cost over several months.
A standard SOW details the engineer's responsibilities, including a list of covered equipment (e.g., all Dräger anesthesia machines), scheduled preventive maintenance (PM) tasks and frequency, expected response times for breakdowns, and documentation requirements. It also specifies the performance metrics they will be measured against, such as equipment uptime.
We ensure proper calibration by using certified testing tools and adhering strictly to OEM protocols and Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) guidelines. For a Hologic Selenia Dimensions mammography system, our engineer uses a calibrated phantom and dosimeter to perform the required quarterly quality control tests, providing a full calibration certificate for your records.
After every PM service on equipment like a GE Optima CT540, you receive a detailed service report. This report includes a checklist of all tasks performed, parts replaced, calibration readings before and after service, and the engineer's recommendations. This documentation is crucial for accreditation, regulatory compliance, and tracking the equipment's service history.
We assign engineers with multi-vendor experience and provide them with access to a central technical support team. For an issue in an operating theatre with a Dräger light, a Maquet table, and a Siemens C-arm, our engineer acts as the single point of contact. They perform initial diagnostics on all components and escalate to specific OEMs only when necessary, saving you time.
Our strategy involves an initial audit to identify critical equipment, like your primary chemistry analyzer, and recommending a stock of essential spare parts to keep on-site. For a Roche Cobas 6000, this would include common failure items like lamps and pumps. This minimizes downtime by ensuring parts are immediately available for the most frequent repairs.
Yes, continuous professional development is a core part of our service. Our engineers receive regular training on new technologies and software updates for equipment like the Philips Azurion 7 series image-guided therapy system. This ensures your facility benefits from the latest diagnostic and repair techniques without you bearing the direct cost of OEM training courses.
Choose staffing augmentation when you need specialized skills for specific high-end equipment like a 1.5T MRI or when you need to fill a temporary gap without the long-term commitment and overhead of a direct hire. It is also ideal for facilities that want to avoid the administrative burden of recruitment, payroll, and ongoing training for a biomedical team.
A third-party augmentation service is often more cost-effective and flexible than a rigid OEM contract, especially for managing a wide range of multi-vendor equipment. While an OEM provides deep expertise on their specific product, like a Siemens Artis zee, our engineers are trained across multiple brands, offering a single point of contact for your entire facility's needs.
A nationwide provider offers standardized service quality, broader technical expertise, and better support for facilities with multiple branches across Nigeria. While a local provider might offer faster response times within one city, a national provider has a larger pool of specialized engineers. This means they can quickly deploy an expert for a niche system, like a Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator.
We ensure NNRA compliance by performing and documenting all required quality assurance (QA) tests at the specified intervals. For a digital X-ray system like the Carestream DRX-Evolution Plus, our augmented staff will conduct annual performance checks, including radiation output consistency and collimator alignment, and maintain the logbook required for NNRA inspections.
Our protocol is: 1) Acknowledge the service call within 15 minutes. 2) Perform remote diagnostics with on-site staff within 1 hour. 3) Dispatch an engineer to be on-site within the 4-hour SLA for critical equipment like a GE Revolution CT. 4) Provide hourly updates until the issue is resolved. The protocol ensures clear communication and rapid mobilization.
Yes, our engineers can prepare your medical equipment for SON inspection and certification. They ensure that devices like new ECG machines or patient monitors meet all safety and performance standards by conducting pre-certification checks. They compile all necessary documentation, such as manuals and previous service histories, to facilitate a smooth and successful certification process.
In a disaster scenario, our first step is to deploy a team within 24 hours to assess the damage to all affected equipment. The team will triage the assets, identifying what is salvageable, like a well-sealed Philips Epiq 7 ultrasound, versus what needs replacement. We then provide a detailed report with a recovery plan and cost estimates to help with insurance claims.
The first step is a complimentary, no-obligation site assessment, which takes 2-3 hours. We walk through your facility, create an inventory of your key medical equipment, and discuss your primary challenges, such as downtime on your Roche Cobas e411 analyzer. From this, we develop a customized proposal outlining the recommended staffing level and scope of work.
Full onboarding typically takes 3-5 business days. Day 1 involves site orientation and introductions. Days 2-3 are for a detailed handover of equipment service histories and current issues. By Day 5, the engineer is independently performing scheduled preventive maintenance and responding to service calls, fully integrated into your hospital's workflow and reporting structure.
Our engineers integrate by using your existing system, such as a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), for all work orders and service reports. If you don't have a CMMS, we can provide a simple, cloud-based system to log all activities. This ensures that all maintenance data for equipment like your Olympus EVIS EXERA III endoscopes is centralized and accessible to your management team.