Going ahead with its mandate to promote safe injection practice in the country, by making compulsory use of auto disposable (AD) syringes, top officials from the health ministry met medical devices manufacturers to deliberate over next action plan. The meeting focused on understanding and analyzing the capabilities and capacity of the manufacturers to undergo this transition.

This comes in the wake of Centre's recent announcement to phase out standard disposable syringes with auto disable syringes and safety syringes as a part of hepatitis elimination intervention strategy. Expressing full support, Rajiv Nath president of All India Syringes and Needles Manufacturers Association (AISNMA) pointed out that this move would go a long way in curbing the raising incidence of careless injection practices that have led to outbreaks of viral hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in healthcare settings.

However Nath did stress on getting minimum three years transition time to ramp up their capacities to adopt the requisite technology. While the government has agreed to give manufacturers three-year time to adopt to this change, it is understood that that it will be done in a phased manner.

He informed that in the first phase the government is planning to adopt it in all the medical colleges and government hospitals. While private hospitals will be targeted in the second phase.

“We are very happy with this decision as all this translates into enhanced life saving probability for patients, lesser infections, and a substantial decrease in overall healthcare cost. Now there will be increased awareness for more responsible health practices, we strongly believe that with auto disposal syringes gaining support within policy and practice norms, we will be able to achieve a safer healthcare.”

Apart from deliberating on key issues and challenges that manufacturers may face in the long run, the meeting also focused on identifying market growth opportunities for the sector. Special mention was also given on identifying strategic parameters that will add value addition to the whole process.

Keen to proceed, the Centre has asked the stakeholders to submit their recommendations on the subject at the earliest, it is understood.

Unsafe injections can result in the transmission of blood-borne pathogens from patient to patient through reuse of syringes; patient to healthcare worker through needle-stick injuries and more rarely, health worker to patient. The community at large is also at risk when used injection equipment is not safely disposed of. Unsafe injection practices have also been the cause of outbreaks of viral hepatitis B and C and HIV in healthcare settings including in high income countries.