Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 4: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges across the country to tighten injection safety practices, warning that unsafe medical procedures can lead to the transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis despite such infections being entirely preventable.
In a nationwide advisory, the medical education regulator said unsafe injection practices could trigger outbreaks of blood-borne infections, including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, and instructed institutions to ensure strict adherence to infection prevention and control protocols.
The NMC directed all medical colleges and affiliated hospitals to use only sterile, single-use needles and syringes and strictly prohibit their reuse under any circumstances. It also emphasised the need for proper hand hygiene and the safe segregation and disposal of injection-related waste.
Describing patient safety as a “non-negotiable mandate”, the Commission called for zero tolerance towards practices such as syringe reuse, unsafe vial sharing, recapping of needles and improper disposal of sharps.
The advisory assumes significance as millions of injections are administered daily across public and private healthcare facilities in India. Public health experts have repeatedly cautioned that even a single lapse in injection safety can expose multiple patients to serious and potentially life-threatening infections.
To further minimise risks, the NMC has encouraged medical colleges to gradually adopt safety-engineered auto-disable syringes that cannot be reused.
Institutions have also been directed to conduct periodic training programmes and competency assessments for healthcare workers involved in administering injections and other invasive procedures.
The regulator has instructed hospitals to promptly report needle-stick injuries and any cluster of infections for investigation. Hospital authorities have also been asked to ensure post-exposure prophylaxis for healthcare workers in accordance with National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines.
In addition, infection-control teams have been directed to carry out regular audits to monitor compliance with safety standards.
The advisory highlights growing concern among health authorities over preventable healthcare-associated infections and underscores that strict adherence to standard safety protocols remains the most effective safeguard against the spread of blood-borne diseases.