The Medical Engineering project has been running since 2008, when it was identified there was a lot of faulty medical equipment and poor support for repairing it within the Ayder Hospital.

By 2013 the Biomedical Engineering department at the Ayder Hospital was fully recognised with an equipped workshop of its own. Abebe, the Chief Biomedical Engineer is now a recognised health professional and has achieved a higher status and recognition as a direct result of this project. SHARE also funded a four week visit to the UK for Abebe, to experience the large medical engineering department at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Along the way, part of the project has been supported by a grant from the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) and Department for International Development (DFID)

Abebe has been able to use his experience of working in the UK to model his own department on the first class facilities in Sheffield. He has implemented standard operating procedures, an inventory and maintenance log, as well as delivering training to Biomedical Engineers who visit from all over Ethiopia.  

With ongoing support from SHARE, Abebe continues to expand the department, providing an emergency repair service as well as starting to maintain equipment and work in co-operation with other hospitals in the region.