Refurbished microscopes: A cost-effective way to outfit your hospital

One year, a study in the journal Clinical Journal of the American Medical Association said that hospitals in the United States spent almost $200 billion on medical equipment. After salaries and other costs for staff and managers, hospital supplies are among the highest costs for healthcare institutions. {Supply budget spending accounts for 25 to 33 percent of hospital operating costs for medicine and surgery.|Supply budget accounts for 25–33 percent of all hospital operating costs for medicine and surgery.

Unfortunately, even after a catastrophic illness, hospital budgets are low. It is vital for hospitals to have easy access to high-quality medical equipment that doesn’t break the bank.

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The different types of medical equipment

These are typically identified by their functions and features. There are electronic, surgical, durable medical equipment (DME), storage and transport and many other subcategories.

When a company decides to make an investment in medical equipment, it becomes vital to extend its life and maintain its value. Maintenance and appropriate training are essential to make every dollar of your investment go further. But if you want to use your medical devices for a long time, it is just as important to have them repaired or serviced.

Some hospitals have the money to periodically replace and update their medical equipment. Others struggle to spend large sums of money on brand new equipment. That’s precisely where working with an expert repair service can cut down equipment costs by purchasing refurbished microscopes and other devices.

The high cost of surgical microscopes

The market for surgical microscopes is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 10.7% until 2027. With the rising numbers of car accidents, chronic disease, and increase in orthopedic surgical procedures, the call for more microscope equipment availability is rising exponentially. Operational microscopes are costly, and many healthcare centers cannot provide the level of care that their patients expect.

Purchasing a quality microscope from a shop that specializes in providing reconditioned models can save a lot of money for a hospital. It can also improve the quality of the services that it offers.

Why refurbished is cheaper and better

Refurbished equipment essentially means putting pre-owned medical equipment back on the market. This means that the medical equipment is in good shape because it was used before, but that does not mean that it is in a condition that could affect its functionality.

On the contrary, every refurbished microscope goes through a meticulous process during which the equipment is upgraded to meet the current OEM specifications. Refurbished surgical microscopes are reported to save between 30 and 50 percent compared to buying new equipment. Every facilities are seriously thinking about purchasing refurbished medical equipment in order to save money in the future.

In this way, refurbishing a microscope is not just a case of someone doing a regular service to fix it; it is much more involved than buying a cheap replacement. When shopping for a reconditioned microscope, you get the following:

  • The microscope reutilized up to 90% of its original material, which keeps costs low

The equipment is not obsolete, as it’s been processed to meet the current OEM standards

  • The microscope is under warranty, even though it isn’t a brand new item 
  • The purchase has a low environmental impact

When hospitals are facing high costs and high needs, reconditioned equipment such as surgical microscopes from a company like Prescott’s Inc., can help them save money and preserve important hospital functions.