DRAP urged to reconsider ban on 10cc syringes

KARACHI:

A blanket ban on 10cc syringes, imposed following the emergence of HIV cases among children, could jeopardise life-saving care for newborns and paediatric patients, the chairman of Pakistan's National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) has warned in an urgent appeal to the country's drug regulator.

Chairman of NITAG Prof Dr Muhammad Khalid Shafi has written an urgent letter to the chief executive officer of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), calling for an immediate review of the decision to impose a complete ban on 10cc syringes.

The appeal comes in the wake of the government's decision to prohibit the syringes following the detection of HIV cases among children. In his letter, Prof Shafi warned that a blanket ban on 10cc syringes could create serious challenges in the treatment and care of children, particularly newborns. He said needle-free 10cc syringes are a standard and essential medical device used to administer precise doses of liquid medicines to paediatric and neonatal patients.