{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T05:47:11Z","timestamp":1782798431160,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782777600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Health Serv."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a critical global shortage of mechanical ventilators, life-saving devices essential for managing patients with severe respiratory complications. The objective of this Community Case Study is to describe the operational process, stakeholder coordination, and outcomes of a national initiative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to rehabilitate decommissioned ventilators, providing a practical model for other health systems facing similar resource constraints during public health emergencies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This retrospective case study analyzed a national initiative to rehabilitate decommissioned ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic, multi-phase operation was executed, starting with a comprehensive inventory that identified 183 decommissioned ventilators across the Kingdom's health regions. A detailed technical assessment was subsequently conducted in collaboration with 13 equipment agents. A zero-cost rehabilitation strategy was implemented, whereby functional parts from non-repairable devices were used to restore others. Each device underwent a rigorous two-stage testing and quality assurance protocol before being cleared for clinical use.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>From the initial 183 devices, the initiative successfully restored 57 ventilators (31.1%) to full operational status at zero cost, creating an immediate and critical boost to ICU capacity. These devices were deployed to high-need regions, including the Eastern Region (14), Madinah (11), and the Northern Borders (9). The project achieved a calculated cost avoidance of 6,678,116 SAR, equivalent to the price of 57 new ventilators. Furthermore, 80 non-repairable devices were donated to support local industrial manufacturing, fostering national self-sufficiency.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This initiative demonstrates a highly effective model for rapid crisis response and resource optimization in healthcare. By strategically rehabilitating decommissioned medical equipment, the project not only alleviated a critical shortage during a pandemic but also yielded substantial financial savings and advanced strategic goals for local industry and sustainable maintenance, setting a benchmark for innovation in public health logistics.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/frhs.2026.1761757","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T05:41:40Z","timestamp":1782798100000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["From neglect to necessity: a community case study on the strategic recovery of 57 ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Meshari Rashed","family":"Albuqami","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Assistant Ministry Agency for Maintenance and Facility Operations, General Directorate of Medical Equipment Maintenance, Regional Affairs Department, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ghadah Sulaiman","family":"Alsaleh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Global Center for Mass Gathering, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]},{"name":"Emergency Medicine Department, Neom Hospital","place":["Tabuk, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ibrahim Saud","family":"Altrair","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Engineering Affairs, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marie Hamed","family":"Alqahtani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Localization and Human Capital, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fahad Mansour","family":"Alanazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maintenance and Facility Operation, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohmmed Fahad","family":"Alqahtani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maintenance and Facility Operation, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Faisal Hawas","family":"Alattawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Directorate of Medical Maintenance, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulaziz Abdullah","family":"Alshehri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infrastructure, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulrahman Bakhat","family":"Alzahrani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Directorate of Equipment and Replacement, Taif Health Cluster","place":["Taif, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulrahman Ayed","family":"Alruwaili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Planning, Performance and Follow-up, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Reem Abdulrahman","family":"Alshehri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Project Management Office for the Deputyship of Maintenance and Facility Operations, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ali Mohmmed","family":"Alshehri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Environmental Health Facilities, Ministry of Health","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah 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