Close on the heels of launching a nationwide intensive public awareness campaign on unsafe injections, Marc Koska, founder of the SafePoint Trust UK in pursuit of its mandate in implementing use of only auto disable syringes, has managed to convince the Government of India which has now made it mandatory to use only auto disable syringes from April 2009.

The action came in the wake of a nationwide study conducted by the IndiaCLEN Program Evaluation Network on behalf of the Ministry of Health and World Bank, entitled 'Assessment of Injection Practices in India' in 2002 - 2005 which brought to light that in India nearly two thirds of the injections are administered in an unsafe manner and also all the injections administered in India, one third carry a potential risk of transmitting Blood Borne Virus.

Marc Koska, founder SafePoint saw the alarming state of unsafe injections in India launched a nationwide campaign which started on November 14, 2008.

Koska finally got an invitation to discuss these issues with the Union Minister of Health Ambumani Ramdoss and Dr R K Srivastava, director general of Health Services and A Johari, joint secretary.

SafePoint managed to convince the government that it was high time to make all injections safer with a combination of new technologies like safer auto disable syringes combined with a better informed public. Dr Ramdoss agreed that enough is enough and that from April 1, 2009, all Central Government hospitals under CGHS will switch over completely to Auto Disable syringes complying with existing ISO standard across all sectors.

Dr Ramdoss immediately announced his intention to send letters to all chief ministers and governors of all States of adhering to safe injection practices with the compulsory use of auto safe syringes at all Central Government hospitals and state-owned public health facilities. The rule will also be made mandatory for all privately owned hospitals and clinics in the second phase.