CASE STUDY: Supplying Equipment for the FCO

In late spring 2008 Diamedica was contacted, on a Saturday evening, by a Major stationed in Afghanistan looking for two Glostavent® Anaesthesia Systems and "some other equipment."   Whilst the majority of medical manufacturers would be enjoying some much needed weekend R&R, Diamedica is used to receiving enquiries and telephone calls at unsocial hours and responded accordingly. Once they had got over their surprise at being called back so speedily, matters quickly progressed and Diamedica found themselves with a sizeable list of equipment to advise on, select and supply. As the budget had to be spent before the end of the tax year, and the equipment supplied to the British Army in Afghanistan via Brize Norton, from where it would be loaded onto a cargo plane, it was a race against the clock to decide what was necessary and get it to its destination on time. 

Ready for delivery

The timescale was approximately six weeks and, in that time, Diamedica organised funding, ascertained the environmental conditions into which the equipment would be going, advised on suitability and, finally, ensured that the deadline was met by personally delivering the order to Brize Norton. During that time there were alterations and additions to the list of equipment, storage issues of temperature sensitive reactive agents and the ever present communication difficulties which come about when there are time zone differences and an end user based in an Afghanistan field hospital where immediate telephone/internet access is not always available.

Whilst handling this order Diamedica was also about to attend the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in Cape Town, for a week, at which the Glostavent® Anaesthesia System had a session dedicated to its suitability for Africa. One of Diamedica's greatest strengths, however, is its ability to rise to any occasion and the flexibility and motivation of an extremely knowledgeable and motivated team ensured that the order was fulfilled within the timescale and with equipment suitable for purpose.