Centre prohibits reuse of single-use medical devices

Hyderabad: The Union Health Ministry has warned hospitals against reusing single-use devices and disposable surgical items, directing state governments to take legal action against non-compliant medical establishments.

Director General of Health Services Dr Loveneesh G Krishna wrote to chief secretaries of all states regarding the mandatory prohibition of reusing disposable surgical items across healthcare organisations nationwide.

The DGHS highlighted that certain private and corporate hospitals were re-sterilising and reusing single-use devices, particularly in critical specialities such as Cardiology, Nephrology, Oncology, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Neurosurgery, and other specialized clinical services.

The DGHS further noted that in multiple instances, full costs for these disposable items were being charged directly to patients or claimed for reimbursement from government authorities.

Reusing single-use items poses grave concerns regarding patient safety, infection prevention, regulatory compliance, and healthcare expenditure. Such unauthorised practices constitute violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, Medical Devices Rules 2017, Clinical Establishments Act 2010, Standard Infection Prevention and Control protocols, and Biomedical Waste Management regulations.

Reusing disposable equipment exposes patients to dangerous risks, including cross-infections, mechanical device malfunctions, loss of procedural performance, and severe clinical complications.

Taking a serious view of these violations, the Health Ministry determined that the reuse of single-use medical devices and disposable surgical equipment must be strictly prohibited across all public and private healthcare facilities under the jurisdiction of the Union Government, states, and union territories.

State officials were instructed to maintain strict vigilance and enforce robust compliance measures within their respective jurisdictions.

Designated monitoring authorities must undertake routine inspections of healthcare establishments to ensure adherence to safety standards and initiate legal proceedings under applicable statutory laws whenever non-compliance is detected.

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