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LONDON: The Surgical Instruments Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SIMAP) has taken serious note of BBC Panorama telecast earlier this week and said Pakistan has never received any complaints from the UK importers regarding the quality of surgical instruments as the quality evaluation is responsibility of the company procuring the consignment.
According to a statement by Vice President SIMAP Jehangir Bajwa and released by Pakistan High Commission, the programme has tried to damage Pakistan’s trade in surgical instrument Industry.
Pakistan’s surgical instruments constitute only 0.69 per cent of UK’s US$3.368 billion imports in this sector. Apart from not receiving any complaints, neither the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MEHRA) has ever expressed any concerns on Pakistan manufactured instruments. Moreover once imported, surgical instruments are sterilized in the UK, not in Pakistan, the statement added.
SIMAP has clarified that 90 per cent of Pakistan’s surgical instruments are exported in countries other than UK and are known for good quality standards.
Bajwa said “it is unfortunate to see BBC Panorama which is an attempt to tarnish Pakistan’s trade relations with the UK by simply juxtaposing different facts to put quality of Pakistan manufactured surgical Instruments in question. Surgical instruments produced in Pakistan are used around the globe saving millions of lives”.
Pakistan’s surgical instruments exports to the world stand at US$ 250 million per annum out of which worth US$ 23.19 million were to the UK (FY 2010) which is only 9.2 per cent of its total exports.
Whereas UK’s total import in this sector are US$ 3.368 billion with Pakistan’s shares of 0.69 per cent only. More than 90 per cent of Pakistan’s exports are to rest of the world and the quality of Pakistan manufactured instruments is acknowledged worldwide.
Over 95 per cent of Surgical instruments producers in Pakistan have international certification and have adopted good manufacturing practices. Their manufacturing arrangements are supervised by highly skilled craftsmen and professionals. Many internationally reputed brands have joint ventures in Pakistan.
Bajwa further said it is out of question that used instruments are supplied from Pakistan. Tom Brophy’s statement that tools are received which have blood traces on them, again puts British system in question because sterilization of instruments is mostly done in importing country so it is wrong to blame Pakistan for such flaws.
Floor grade instruments which are also used as tools in different industries like electronics can’t be compared with instruments produced for different surgeries. If some UK importer registered with NHS (National Health Service) imports floor grade instruments which are definitely of lower quality and cheaper as compared to high quality tools from Pakistan and supply it to NHS, then NHS has to review its procurement and evaluation system.
According to Bajwa, SIMAP is playing a vital role in capacity building and modernization of surgical industry in Pakistan with the help of Engineering Development Board (EDB) and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).
SIMAP has upgraded Manufacturing Standards of industry and is also focusing to bring new technologies.
It is acknowledged by BBC Panorama that larger companies in Pakistan operate state of the art facilities and has rigorous quality control procedure in place. In fact only larger companies can handle supplies of NHS.
