Are questions about hospital equipments off-topic?

Question

Example: Does less than 10% of donated used medical equipment ultimately becomes operational?

In its Guidelines for Donations of Health Care Equipment, the WHO says:

The sense among some biomedical engineers and health care professionals who have extensive work experience in these countries is that less than 30%, perhaps as low as 10%, of used equipment ultimately becomes operational.

The number is quite vague and unreferenced. What percentage of donated used medical equipment to developing countries ultimately becomes operational?

Would that be off-topic here?

Answer 1

As that question is written, yes, I would consider it off topic. It's simply asking for a percentage number. Knowing the number would have absolutely no impact on health, either personally or in a global sense.

However, I would consider it on topic, if it was about the implications of the relative scarcity of medical equipment in relation to the amount donated, but it would need to be worded fairly carefully to avoid being too broad or opinion based.

Summary: If it is simply looking for a number, no, not on topic. If it is about the implications of that low percentage in global health, possibly on topic depending on how it is worded.

Answer 2

Are questions about hospital equipments off-topic?

Not necessarily. We have questions about xrays and MRIs. If the question is a health question that happens to involve hospital equipment, it's on topic. For example:

Will an IV line with a very large bubble in it hurt me or cause any problems? I read that an air embolism (or a gas embolism) has the potential to hurt or even kill people.

Venous air embolism is a predominantly iatrogenic complication that occurs when atmospheric gas is introduced into the systemic venous system.

I sometimes see small bubbles in an IV line, but how much is too much air?

I think this is a health question involving hospital equipment.

Asking what percent of donated hospital equipment actually works isn't a health related question. A problem, certainly. But a health problem for the reader of this statistic? I don't think it is, not as it is framed.