The Centre has put the supply of syringes used in COVID-19 vaccination and shots for the Universal Immunisation Programme on hold for two months, throwing over 15 suppliers who have been affected, in a tizzy.
The directive, according to sources, is a result of surplus inventories, storage space crisis and a dwindling need for syringes and needles as demand for the COVID vaccination ebbs in the country
Between July and October last year, the Health Ministry had placed orders for syringes, with an aim to target 2 billion COVID-19 vaccination shots by December 2021, which was later extended to March this year.
As the ministry was struggling to procure enough syringes, as per the required specifications, it had also put restrictions on the export of syringes—much to the discomfort of suppliers-- which was lifted only beginning this month.
Now the abrupt order dated February 14—issued by the Central Medical Service Society under the ministry which postpones procurement of over 24 crore syringes—has caught the manufacturers off guard who are perplexed at being asked to suspend production and supplies by 2 months.
Industry sources said that as 175 crore COVID-19 shots have already been administered in India, it has led to a reversal in situation-from crisis to abundant supply. So just two weeks after export restrictions were lifted, manufacturers are now being told to stop supplying to the government.
Suppliers are also not clear if this will have cascading effect and orders placed for April to July delivery will also be rescheduled by two months further or they will need to be supplied along with the rescheduled deliveries.
Rajiv Nath, president of the All-India Syringes & Needles Manufacturers Association and managing director of Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices said that the syringe makers had been seeking lifting of the export restriction since December which was not done despite assurances by the ministry.
“Now suddenly, just 2 weeks after allowing the exports to resume the government wishes us to stop manufacturing or hold stocks for 2 months,” he rued.
“The high-volume high-speed production lines can’t switch overnight from domestic market labelling to export labelling and international buyers preferred specifications,” Nath said.
He also said that there should be better supply chain management and the Centre needs to be a “fair buyer”.
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