NEW DELHI: Alarmed by the possibility of patients contracting HIV and viral hepatitis through unsafe medical procedures, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges across the country to tighten injection safety practices, warning that such infections are entirely preventable but can occur when basic safeguards are ignored.In a nationwide advisory, the medical education regulator said unsafe injection practices can lead to outbreaks of blood-borne infections, including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, and asked institutions to ensure strict compliance with infection prevention and control norms.The Commission has ordered all medical colleges to use only sterile, single-use needles and syringes and strictly prohibit their reuse under any circumstances. It has also directed hospitals to strengthen hand hygiene practices and ensure proper segregation and disposal of injection-related waste.Calling patient safety a “non-negotiable mandate”, the NMC said there should be zero tolerance for practices such as syringe reuse, unsafe vial sharing, recapping of needles and improper disposal of sharps.The advisory assumes significance as India administers millions of injections every day across public and private healthcare facilities. Public health experts have long warned that even a single lapse in injection safety can expose multiple patients to potentially life-threatening infections.To reduce risks further, the NMC has advised medical colleges to progressively adopt safety-engineered auto-disable syringes that cannot be reused. Institutions have also been asked to conduct periodic training and competency assessments for healthcare workers handling injections and other invasive procedures.The regulator has directed hospitals to 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 as per National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines and conduct regular audits through infection-control teams.The advisory underscores growing concern among health authorities that preventable healthcare-associated infections continue to pose a threat to patient safety and that strict adherence to standard protocols remains the most effective defence against transmission of blood-borne diseases.
