Product of the month: This section features products which our voters have ranked highly. This month we are featuring Investment Analysis tool for General Equipments as this issue features all the products on Strategic Planning Tools. Currently our site contains Investment Analysis for General Equipments and Phaco and Yag laser. We have dealt with the Investment Analysis tool and how to use this tool in the September issue of SiteNews. This tool will be helpful in deciding the initial cost required for purchasing the equipments and instruments needed for an Eye Hospital that is started newly. Investment Analysis for General Equipments Abstract: With the advent of modern technology, in order to provide quality eye care the hospitals are forced to purchase several equipments. Purchasing of equipments not only involves capital cost of the equipment but also the cost for supporting facilities like air-conditioning, special foundations and construction. It also involves some recurring costs like salaries to technicians, annual service contract charges, cost of spares, consumables, interest and depreciation charges. Due to all these costs many of the charity hospitals find it difficult to invest in new technology. In this context, the hospitals face a situation as to how to mobilize resources (money) to procure the necessary equipments and also whether to charge patients and if so what would be the amount they would charge. This tool gives inputs on this. Guideline: This tool can help the hospital to provide answers for the following questions What will be the pay back period, if the equipment is procured through loan from the suppliers, banks, funding agencies and other sources? What should be the annual patient load required to pay back the loan in a given period of time (1year, 2 year, etc)? Or how many patients should the hospital mobilize to effectively utilize the procured equipment? What will be the price/charge for the patients? Whether to charge at the market price or based on the actual cost (cost analysis)? Can there be a different charge for patients referred from outside consultants? If yes, what can be the price? What are the non-financial considerations? Please click here to check the User Manual and Tutorial which provides step-by-step process of using the tool. Have a look at the product: Investment Analysis for General Equipments