TN Health units not to use AD syringes: Minister

Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, May 16 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Health Minister M R K Panneerselvam today said the government has issued instructions to all its health centres not to use the Auto Disabled (AD) syringes.

Speaking to reporters here, the Minister said the instructions were given after the AD syringes, used in immunisation programmes and supplied by the Centre, were found to be of substandard quality with needles rusted and dust accumulating in the cylinder.

This was despite the expiry date being 2011. The state government initially wrote a letter to the Union Health Secretary. However, with no response forthcoming it sent a letter to Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, he said.

He said while the Central teams would be assessing the quality of the syringes and reviewing the situation, the state government had made alternative arrangements to ensure the immunisation programme was not affected.

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