ISLAMABAD: Amid reports of the sale of conventional syringes across the country, the health ministry on Tuesday directed the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (Drap) to step up its campaign against sellers and industrial units manufacturing banned syringes.

As per the health ministry, the direction has been given in the best interest of the public as conventional syringes are the potential cause of communicable diseases, like Hepatitis and Aids.

“Drap has been directed to start a campaign against sale/stock and distribution of such banned/conventional unregistered syringes across the country under relevant laws to protect the general public from harmful effects.”

Drap CEO Dr Asim Rauf told Dawn that the authority had received reports that some industrial units were still manufacturing conventional syringes.

“We [recently] sealed two units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for six months and legal action is also being taken against them. Surveillance has been increased and strict action will be taken against those involved in the manufacturing and selling of these products,” he said.

CEO says two manufacturing units in KP sealed, legal action underway

While replying to a question, he said that the prices of auto-destructible and conventional syringes were almost equal, but in some peripheral and rural areas, the use of conventional syringes was preferred because they could be reused.

“We are also considering running campaigns for the awareness of the masses so that they would discourage the use of conventional syringes,” Dr Rauf said.

It is worth mentioning that the decision to stop the use of conventional syringes was made after the incident of the HIV outbreak in Larkana in 2019. Currently, over a dozen companies are manufacturing auto-disable syringes and three companies have been allowed to import them.

It is pertinent to mention that in May 2019 an outbreak of HIV was observed in Larkana (Ratodero). Over a thousand persons, including children, were found positive, forcing the government to request the World Health Organisation (WHO) to investigate the matter.

At that time, then special assistant to prime minister on health Dr Zafar Mirza told reporters that 95 per cent of injections in Pakistan were administered unnecessarily.

“A decision has been made to take a number of other steps to ensure that the disease would not spread. From next year, auto-destructible syringes will be used across the country due to which that issue would be addressed. Safe blood transfusion is being ensured. We will also introduce infection prevention programme in the hospitals,” he had announced.

‘Task Force on Injection Safety’

An official of the health ministry, who wished not to be named, said that the Task Force on Injection Safety was also established which launched a national action plan in December 2019, shared with all provinces.

A ban on conventional plastic syringes to control the spread of blood-borne diseases such as Aids, HIV, and Hepatitis C was also recommended. The key objectives were shared through radio, broadcast, print and digital media, he said.

“Now conventional syringes cannot be manufactured or sold in the market. The importers and local manufacturers were given timelines to switch. To incentivise local manufacturers to switch to auto-disable syringes, they were given exemptions on customs duties and sales tax,” he added.

“It is unfortunate that people are infected with Hepatitis C due to the reuse of disposable syringes and ended with cirrhosis and entire families suffer mentally and financially,” he said.

“Auto-destruct syringes cannot be used after a single use. Once the syringe has been used the plunger gets locked. Any attempt to unlock the plunger destroys the syringe, preventing the reuse of syringes. Unfortunately, when contaminated plastic syringes aren’t disposed of and reused on another patient, they can transmit blood-borne diseases and lead to outbreaks like the Aids outbreak in Larkana in 2019,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2023