If you are taking any medical device/hospital furniture on rent, it is important to check if it has been disinfected. This reduces the chance of occurrence of opportunistic infections because of a previous user who most likely is a dependent patient. Viruses and other infection causing organisms are very hardy and can survive for long even without a proper host so care needs to be maintained. Some signs to watch out for:

• Consider the rent being asked for by the supplier. If it is too low compared to what you have got from others, then it is likely that it is an old device/equipment which been used often and by multiple patients. You might save a few hundred rupees but it may not be worth the risk of your patient falling sick because of an opportunistic infection. Lets’ say you save INR 500 per month and you need to use it for 3 months. You would save INR 1500. A doctors’ consultation can cost anywhere from 500 – 1000 and add to it expense of medicines and other effort. It may not be worth it
• Does the equipment or device have obvious stains, dry blood and other fluids? This is obviously not sanitized equipment and devices
• If it is an electronic device like nebulizer, oxygen concentrators, Bi PAP device ensure that you take a fresh set of tubing, masks, nasal canuula as appropriate. Ensure that filters, if any are clean.
• Check for rust especially on weight bearing parts in toilet equipment and walking equipment as it significantly reduces the strength of the metal and can break during use.