AP first to launch auto-disable syringes

Andhra Pradesh has become the first state in the country to launch auto-disable syringes for all clinical purposes.

The state government in May 2018 had passed an order to use auto-disable syringes for all clinical purposes in order to declare Andhra Pradesh as “Safety Injection Use State”.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the initiative at the Interim secretariat in Amaravati on Thursday and also held a review meeting on its implementation.

As a part of the program a panel discussions on patient safety was also organised.

Poonam Malakondaiah, state's special chief secretary health, said: " Auto-disable syringes will reduce infections and many other technological interventions. Andhra Pradesh remains committed to work with stakeholders to set new quality benchmarks in healthcare”

Dr. (Col) HS Ratti, an epidemiologist and project advisor to Safe Point, has applauded the Andhra Pradesh government for becoming the first Indian state to launch auto-disable syringes.

Dr Ratti said “Progressive Andhra’s One Injection One Syringe Policy via auto-disable syringes is launch of a war on acquired infections".

“Infections due to unsafe injections are unacceptable. This is a core component of quality that should be addressed adequately to ensure universal healthcare, ” Dr Ratna Devi, founding member of the Indian Alliance of Patient Groups, said.

The biggest global campaign for use of safe injection practice came as early as 2015 when WHO Director General Margaret Chen flagged off— the biggest global initiative since polio eradication and hand wash campaign— "Global Health Initiative on Injection Safety" and chose India, Egypt and Uganda as the focus countries to spearhead the campaign.

WHO had stated that for every dollar invested in injections safety the returns on investment was 14 dollars.

The poor hygiene in hospitals acts as an amplifier for diseases as a patient gets admitted for a specific treatment but ends up getting treated for a hospital acquired infection.

The reuse of medical syringes continues to be a matter of serious concern.

India consumes over 4 Billion syringes per year of which nearly 60% are unsafe and one third are reused.