A free machine can still create an unaffordable project. Freight, installation, compatible supplies and repairs belong to someone after the donation ceremony ends. Our editorial view is that the receiving facility should lead the specification and have a real opportunity to decline an unsuitable offer. The useful question is what service the donation will help that team sustain.
The decision in brief
Let the recipient approve the exact equipment and the service it will support.
Assign and fund freight, site work, supplies and continuing maintenance.
Ship when the service is ready; consider repairs, supplies or training when they fit better.
Begin with a request that the facility owns
Ask the receiving clinical and technical teams to describe the service, the equipment gap and the essential requirements. Their priorities may differ from the donor’s available inventory. A facility may need several dependable examination devices before it needs a complex imaging system. Make those preferences visible early. The recipient should identify who can approve the clinical fit and who can approve the technical and operational arrangements.
Treat acceptance as a joint decision
WHO’s 2024 donation guidance addresses inappropriate donations, responsibilities of donors and recipients, and the steps before, during and after a donation. That framework supports a simple editorial principle: do the difficult compatibility and responsibility discussions while the equipment can still stay where it is. Send accurate identification, condition records, configuration and photographs. Do not ask a recipient to accept equipment based only on a generous valuation or a short deadline.
Fund the parts of the project that are easy to overlook
Even when the equipment price is zero, packing, freight, local transport, site preparation, installation and staff orientation still need owners. Ongoing supplies, maintenance and eventual retirement also need a realistic plan. Build one shared budget and distinguish funded items from hoped-for contributions. If a donor can support only the machine, say so early so the recipient can determine whether the remaining commitment is manageable.
Make the handover useful after the visitors leave
A good handover includes an equipment and accessory list, applicable instructions, the agreed acceptance record and a named support route. Training should reach the people who will use and maintain the equipment, with a plan for staff changes. Decide how the receiving team will report an issue and who is responsible for following it through. Avoid promises of continuing support that no organization has committed to provide.
Make the shipment decision explicit
Approve shipment when the recipient has accepted the exact equipment, the site is ready and the essential costs and responsibilities have owners. Delay it when an unresolved dependency would prevent useful operation. If the offered machine does not fit, ask whether funding an identified repair, supplies or training would better serve the recipient’s priorities. Agree a proportionate follow-up covering installation, acceptance, intended use and support. These measures show what the donation accomplished after delivery and make a responsible delay easier to explain.
Your decision checklist
- Recipient defines and approves the need
- Condition and compatibility assessed before shipment
- All costs and responsibilities assigned
- Follow-up measures agreed with the receiving team
Sources & reading notes
Purchasing guidance for discussion with your clinical and technical teams. Manufacturer references describe example models, not equipment currently offered for sale.
- WHO · medical device donations, second editionSource checked 2026-10-16