PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered a nationwide ban on the manufacturing, sale and use of substandard syringes, directing the authorities concerned to launch a comprehensive crackdown on unsafe injection practices. He also ordered strict legal action against hospitals, healthcare professionals and individuals found responsible for criminal negligence or violations that contribute to the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and other blood-borne infections. Chairing a meeting to review measures against HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C, the PM also ordered for formation of a committee of public health experts to recommend comprehensive measures for controlling communicable diseases, instructing that the provinces be fully consulted before finalizing its recommendations.
Pakistan’s healthcare sector faces significant challenges, including the widespread presence of unqualified quacks, the unsafe reuse of syringes driving outbreaks of infectious diseases and unethical pharmaceutical incentives that prioritize profits over patient welfare. It is mainly because of unsafe practices that communicable diseases are on the rise despite a comprehensive Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) and greater awareness among masses against use of polluted water. It is a matter of concern that the reuse of syringes remains a potent threat despite a ban and hopefully the federal and provincial authorities concerned move with determination to address this problem both in public sector and private health facilities by imposing stringent penalties that might serve as deterrence. However, this is not the only aspect requiring focused attention of the federal and provincial governments as there are other serious issues as well that contribute to spread of diseases and put lives of the ordinary people in danger. These include prescription of unnecessary medicines due to unholy alliance between medical practitioners and pharmaceutical companies; instances of over-investigation; unnecessary surgeries (such as unwarranted C-sections) and artificially prolonging intensive care unit (ICU) stays.
