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Research Scholar, School of Commerce & Management, Mohan Babu University , Andhra Pradesh , India
Professor, School of Commerce & Management, Mohan Babu University , Andhra Pradesh , India
Needlestick injuries (NSIs) are an ongoing workplace risk associated with healthcare facilities and this risk is even more pronounced in the developing economies where the traditional disposable syringes are still in use as a method of therapy. Even though the use of safety-engineered syringes has been globally endorsed to minimize the occupational exposure to blood-borne infections, their use in India has not been widespread. Auto-disable syringes have enhanced safety in terms of preventing re use but does not remove the possibility of post-injection exposure to the needle hence subjecting healthcare workers to injuries. This paper explores the technical feasibility, industry preparedness and relevance of safety of production of indigenous auto-retractable single-use syringes in India. It was a structured survey over the manufacturers of syringes in India, which covered a near-census of the industry. Among the 64 manufacturers who were identified, 59 gave valid responses, which is a response rate of 92.2 percent. The article is a statistical study that incorporates design-feasibility and economic factors, determining the perception of manufacturers and the obstacles to the introduction of advanced safety technologies in the healthcare industry. The results of the research indicate that there is high awareness of the auto-retractable syringe technology, but the capacity to produce these syringes in-country is low. Majority of the manufactures still concentrate on traditional disposable or auto-disable syringes due to sensitivity of costs, complexity in design and uncertainty of demand in the market. Nevertheless, there is a strong relationship between the perceived risk of needle-stick injuries and acceptance of safer designs of syringes. Moreover, the more simplified retraction mechanisms that can be used with current production infrastructure prove more willingness to pilot adoption among manufacturers. The research concludes that indigenous auto-retractable syringe technology is technically viable and possibly economically viable in the Indian manufacturing ecosystem given that design simplicity, policy support and procurement incentives are coordinated. The findings also give useful information regarding the role of innovation and manufacturing capacities in enhancing safety and decreasing occupational hazards in the healthcare system in India.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC) License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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