From Bench to Bedside: Development of Low-Cost, Locally Fabricated Procedural Simulation Trainers at a Hospital-Based Innovation Centre in Pakistan

Background Simulation-based medical education is central to procedural skills training, but commercial simulators remain financially inaccessible to many institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Centre for Innovation in Medical Education (CIME) at Aga Khan University, Pakistan, developed four low-cost, locally fabricated procedural simulation trainers to address this gap. Methods This technical innovation report describes the design, material selection, fabrication methodology, and cost analysis of a Fiberoptic Intubation Box, a Heel Prick Simulator, a Hemorrhoid Ligation Simulator, and a Cesarean-Section Laparotomy Model, developed using locally available or repurposed materials through faculty-guided iterative prototyping. Results Each device achieved greater than 95% cost reduction versus commercial equivalents, including a reduction from USD $12,000 to USD $4 for the laparotomy model, while retaining features supporting authentic procedural practice. Conclusions These devices demonstrate that LMICs can develop high-utility procedural simulators at a fraction of commercial cost, with open-access blueprints enabling global replication.