Karnataka government hospitals are the largest user of auto disposable syringes (ADS) amongst the states during the last three years. While Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, and Bihar have begun to switch to ADS, other states are yet to start using it. All central government hospitals in Delhi including All India Institute of Medical Sciences use only ADS.
SafePoint Trust, a UK based non governmental organization has in its Safe Injection Campaign in the country has received complete support from the Union government.
The re-use of syringes is the main cause of HIV and Hepatitis and other infectious diseases, said Marc Koska, CEO, SafePoint Trust.
Auto disposable syringes are automatically rendered un-usable after delivering a dose of injection. According to World Heath Organization annually around 1.3 million people die because of unsafe medical injections.
In India, 3 lakh people are victims and on an average a person takes three to five injections a year. More than 50 per cent of these injections are administered through re-usable syringes.
In this regard, SafePoint took on the onus to sensitize the people and promote the use of Auto Disposable Syringes. By 2010, the UK NGO expects to propagate the use of ADS across all hospitals in the country.
After the campaign comes to a close, SafePoint will press upon the UN to provide safe healthcare practices as a basic right, Koska said.
According to WHO 1.5 billion injections are manufactured in India and the demand for this is estimated to be 5 billion. The gap is filled by the re-usable injections reusable syringes.
Over 50 million syringes are manufactured globally and there 30 manufacturers for syringes across India. Karnataka uses around 75 million syringes. According to sources market for injections in India is valued at Rs 5,631 crore ending December 2008.