Govt introducing self-destructible syringes

ISLAMABAD: The special assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza Saturday said the federal government had planned to introduce auto-disable syringes next year for reducing infections and diseases caused by repeated use of syringes.

In an interview with a private news channel, he said the ministry of health would made it mandatory to use auto disable (AD) syringes in all government hospitals and private health centres to avoid further complications for citizens as re-use of an insulin pen needle could increase bacterial growth on the needle and can cause HIV infections among citizens.

He said health ministry also launched an investigating over the recent incident of HIV outbreak in Larkana and they immediately impose a "ban on use of injections at the clinics" run by General Practitioners (GPs), adding, reuse of syringes is the major cause of spreading the viral disease among children in Larkana. To put an end to this practice, Dr Mirza said, an injection safety committee and task force had been formed at the national level.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2019.