Ministry of Health, Pakistan has decided to enforce a blanket ban on used syringes, an official notification in this regard was issued on Tuesday.
Unsafe injection practices, including excessive use of therapeutic injections and reuse of syringes, Therapeutic injections are commonly sought and administered in Pakistan and are often unnecessary, says a report on the issue in the Journal Of Pakistan Medical Association.
In the developing countries, where affordable healthcare to the masses is still left unfulfilled; both patients and healthcare providers are either forced or tempted to opt for reuse of disposable syringes.
According to reports, there is an acute shortage of syringes among the developing countries, as the average number of daily injections in the developing world is about 17 billion.
Injections of controlled release drugs, mass application of the same drug in the hospitals, immunization projects, etc. are some of the situations where medical professionals opt for this risky process to overcome the shortage of syringes and or minimizing the cost involved.
The reuse of disposable syringes is one of the most common tendency observed across several countries. About 7 billion injections/year are reported as unsafe across the developing world.
Notably, the law will ensure syringe manufacturers do not produce apparatus that can be re-used.
The order will take effect from June, after June all syringes that are being reused in any shape or form will be confiscated and destroyed. Import of reusable syringes is also being banned after implementation of the orders.
Earlier on November 2, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Dr Zafar Mirza has said that the federal government has planned to introduce auto-disable syringes next year for reducing infections and diseases caused by repeated use of syringes.
He said the government was taking every possible step to ensure universal health coverage, adding that giving priority to the health sector was govt’s top priority.
It is asserted that healthcare providers should always adhere to Safe Injection Practices under Standard Precautions to prevent disease transmission from needles, syringes, or multi-dose vials.
Reusing a needle puts patients in danger of contracting Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and possibly HIV. When it is discovered that reuse of a needle or syringe has occurred, all patients who may have been affected should be notified and informed to get tested.
