Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan said on Monday the government is promoting the use of auto-destruct syringes to curb blood-borne infections.
Taking to Twitter, he pointed out that many blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis and HIV spread through the reuse of disposable syringes. “We are therefore transitioning to auto-destruct syringes,” he announced.
Dr Faisal Sultan said the government has waived duties on the import of auto-destruct or auto-disposable syringes, including raw material required to produce these locally, to facilitate the transition process.
Earlier, the Ministry of National Health Services moved a summary for the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to consider waiving duties on the import of auto-destruct syringes.
The ministry in the summary said Pakistan was facing a multitude of public health issues owing to a rapid rise in blood-borne diseases.—INP