Editorial

A welcome law

Billion syringes used in country, if reuse of needles is factored in, large number of people face risk of infection.

Editorial January 20, 2011

The passing into law of a bill tabled to prohibit the manufacture, sale and use of disposable syringes, other than the auto-destruct ones, in the Sindh Assembly recently, must be lauded as a step in the right direction to control the spread of contagious diseases. Usage of old syringes is one of the major reasons behind the spread of blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV. And this is not always on purpose — if a used syringe is not disposed off, there is always the danger that someone may accidently become infected by coming into contact with a syringe used on a person with infected blood.

The needles of glass syringes can be reused several times and are not always sterilised properly when reused or repackaged. If not cautious, doctors may use such syringes for immunisation as well as curative purposes. Another factor behind the reuse of syringes is the lower cost associated with this practice. While educating the public, keeping track of syringes and reducing their price to do away with the incentive to reuse needles are all options, the most fool-proof one is, perhaps, to use auto-destruct syringes. These syringes block the plunger after the first use, making it impossible to draw fluid into them more than once.

Around a billion syringes are being used in the country, and if reuse of needles is factored in, a large number of people face the risk of infection. Tackling this issue will go a long way in controlling the spread of related diseases. A major step has been taken by the Sindh Assembly, but the job is only half done till implementation of this law is ensured. The federal ministry of health kept extending the registration date of disposable syringes for 16 years, till it was finally ordered by the courts, on a petition filed by the Pakistan Medical Association, not to do so under the Drug Act 1976. This law must not be treated in a similar manner and should be followed to the letter.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2011.

COMMENTS (1)

Hyder Ali Khan | 13 years ago | Reply I disagree with your opinion that this is in any way a welcome law. It is unfair and unreasonable from every perspective and perhaps even unconstitutional. First of all if one reads the text of the act it makes manufacturing, selling and using disposable syringes other than of the auto-destruct and auto-lock variety a non-bailable offence with a hefty fine and imprisonment. The bill also came into force with immediate effect. This would make scores of factories in the province of Sindh that produce disposable syringes, chemists that are stocking them, and hospitals and thier staff that are using them criminals overnight. Even if this law was necessary a period of at least six months should have been given for hospitals to restock with these new syringes, factories to learn the know-how of producing them, and chemists to get rid of the stock held. It will ruin many a business and make many a honest business man a criminal. It is also in clear violation of Article 18 of the constitution that allows Freedom of trade with reasonable restrictions. This is by no means a reasonable restriction especially in the way it has been enforced. Secondly the Sindh Assembly has not bothered to check whether these syringes are even available in the market freely and the supply is enough to provide all the hospitals around. There is currently only one factory manufacturing these syringes which would not even meet one tenth of the demand and the law effectively creates a monopoly and a shortage which will lead to exorbitant prices. Furthermore, these syringes are also almost three times as expensive as a normal disposable syringe. The common man will simply not be able to afford them and will move back to the even greater evil of non-disposable syringes which by the way have not been banned by this law which clearly makes it colourable legislation. In conclusion even if this step was considered necessary a grace period should have been given to get rid of stock and other manufacturers to learn how to produce these new syringes. Instead the government has put people out of business and made thus far reasonable honest businessmen fear arrest. Even in developed countries like the United Kingdom and Singapore it is not the law to use these auto destruct syringes. Instead what is regulated is the proper disposal of disposable syringes and thier destruction after single use. That should have been done here instead as well.

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