All Federal tertiary hospitals must procure needles and syringes solely from NAFDAC-approved local manufacturers. The circular, which aims to boost domestic production and protect the country’s manufacturing sector, also states that NAFDAC will no longer issue licenses for the importation of foreign-manufactured needles and syringes.
In a statement, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa revealed that six of the nine local pharmaceutical companies that produced needles and syringes eight years ago have folded up due to the dumping of largely substandard goods into the market. The government has therefore directed that this must stop.
Local pharmaceutical industries have been identified as producing needles and syringes that are in serious trouble because of the practice of importing foreign goods. The government has mandated all tertiary hospitals to procure needles and syringes for hospital needs from only the NAFDAC-approved local manufacturers: EL-Salmat Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd (‘Salmaject’), HMA Medical Ltd (‘Deleject’) and Afrimedical Manufacturing & Supplies Ltd.
This move is expected to protect and boost the country’s local manufacturing sector. The government has also listed distributors of the listed companies in some states of the Federation for easy access to assist in making the procurement process easier in the various institutions.
This directive is an effort to further strengthen the healthcare system in the country by ensuring that hospitals only use locally manufactured syringes and needles from trusted manufacturers.
