The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Thursday in Abuja called on stakeholders to discontinue the use of conventional syringes in government hospitals.
Chukwu made the call while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Ministry of Health and the Rivers Government on bulk purchase of auto-disable Syringes.
He said the continued use of conventional syringes was capable of spreading some dangerous diseases among people, including children.
The minister said the National Council on Health had agreed and given a directive that by Oct. 1, all Federal Government hospitals should discontinue the use of conventional syringes.
“Now we are implementing our policies on syringe and needle which has been in place for years but never implemented.
“So, from the? first week in October, no Federal Government health establishment will still be using the conventional syringe, all of them must use auto-disable syringe.
?“This is in line with the policies by the highest health policy making body in this country, the National Council of Health,’’ he said.
The minister said the aim of discontinuing the use of conventional syringes was to curb the transfusion of diseases, such as Hepatitis B and HIV and AIDS.
He urged all hospitals to commence using auto-disable syringes, adding that the syringes would? ensure a single-time use.
Chukwu noted that the MoU with Rivers was part of the Goodluck Jonathan administration’s efforts to safeguard the health of Nigerians.
?Gov. Chibuike Ameachi of Rivers, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, said the state government was determined to ensure that the people had good health.
He said the state government had mandated all government hospital to begin using auto-disable syringes.
According to him, the syringes will be given free to hospitals so as to prevent some of the diseases that could be transmitted through its use.
Ameachi added that the manufacturing company of the auto-disable syringes was? based in Rivers and would generate 2000 jobs.
He explained that the auto-disable syringes virtually eliminated the risk of patient-to patient infection with blood borne pathogens because it could not be re-used.
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