PM Orders Nationwide Ban on Substandard Syringes to Fight Infections
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered a nationwide crackdown on substandard syringes, directing authorities to stop their manufacture and use as part of urgent measures to reduce the spread of infectious diseases in Pakistan.
The instructions were issued during a high-level meeting in Islamabad focused on the prevention of HIV and Hepatitis C. The prime minister reviewed concerns that unsafe medical practices, weak enforcement and the circulation of poor-quality syringes continue to expose patients to avoidable health risks.
According to the official account of the meeting, Shehbaz directed that unauthorised or substandard syringes should not remain in use anywhere in the country. He also called for action against individuals, hospitals or medical facilities found involved in negligence or the use of unsafe injection equipment.
The prime minister told relevant departments that public health protection requires more than temporary enforcement drives. He stressed that Pakistan needs a coordinated strategy involving federal institutions, provincial authorities, regulators and health experts to control communicable diseases more effectively.
A special committee of experts is to be formed to recommend practical steps for disease prevention. The prime minister directed that provinces should be consulted in the process so that any new plan can be implemented across different healthcare systems rather than remaining limited to Islamabad.
The Ministry of Law was asked to work with relevant departments on possible changes to the legal and regulatory framework. The purpose is to strengthen accountability where unsafe medical practices create risks for patients and to close loopholes that allow poor-quality medical devices to circulate.
Shehbaz also instructed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan to engage with the medical-device industry and propose policy measures that can permanently reduce disease transmission linked to syringe use. This places DRAP at the centre of the next phase of enforcement, compliance monitoring and industry consultation.
The decision comes against a wider public health backdrop in which unsafe injections, weak disposal systems and reuse of medical equipment have repeatedly raised concerns in Pakistan. Health experts have long warned that injection safety is essential for controlling blood-borne infections, especially Hepatitis C and HIV.
Pakistan’s healthcare network includes major public hospitals, private clinics, informal practitioners and small medical outlets, making enforcement difficult. A ban can only be effective if it is paired with market inspections, supply-chain monitoring, safer alternatives and penalties that are consistently applied.
For citizens, the move could improve patient safety if implemented seriously. Poor-quality syringes place ordinary families at risk during routine treatment, vaccination, emergency care and private clinic visits, while disease transmission adds pressure on both households and the national health system.
The next step will depend on how quickly the expert committee is notified, how DRAP coordinates with manufacturers and provincial regulators, and whether hospitals and clinics are inspected for compliance. The government is expected to follow the directive with legal, administrative and regulatory measures aimed at making injection practices safer nationwide.