The federal government has banned the purchase and use of foreign needles and syringes in all Nigerian tertiary hospitals in a bid to support domestic production.
In a circular signed by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Friday, the government mandated that all chief medical directors (CMDs) and medical directors (MDs) of federal tertiary hospitals must purchase needles and syringes only from NAFDAC-approved local manufacturers.
Dr. Alausa emphasized the importance of this directive for the survival of local pharmaceutical industries that produce needles and syringes.
He noted that many domestic companies have been struggling due to the influx of substandard foreign products, leading some to shut down operations.
Therefore, the directive aims to reduce the importation of foreign-made needles and syringes and encourage the use of locally manufactured products.
NAFDAC has been instructed to stop issuing licenses for importing foreign needles and syringes.
Companies involved in such imports will no longer be allowed to do so.
“All our tertiary hospitals are hereby directed to procure needles and syringes for your hospital needs from only the NAFDAC-approved local manufacturers,” Dr. Alausa said in the circular.
The approved manufacturers include EL-Salmat Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd. (Salmaject), HMA Medical Ltd. (Deleject), and Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Ltd.
Dr. Alausa also provided a list of distributors for the approved manufacturers in different states to make the procurement process easier for institutions.
