NEW DELHI, Dec 25 (AFP) - Three out of five syringes in India are unsafe because the glass syringes are not sterilised while the plastic disposable ones are "reused indiscriminately," the health ministry said.
A survey released by the ministry said disposable syringes were being reused in rural India to save costs, while ragpickers in the cities and small towns were recycling needles found in rubbish dumps for quick profit.
"Nearly 50 percent of the injections given to people are unsafe. Our survey shows that glass syringes are being washed and reused, not sterilized," said Sobhan Sarkar, the ministry's deputy commissioner of child health.
One in six disposable needles is almost certainly recycled and reused, added the survey released by the ministry this week.
A report brought out this year by the World Health Organisation voiced the same concern saying 75 percent of injections administered in South Asia were risky because of dirty needles.
India has 4.58 million people with HIV/AIDS, second only to South Africa with five million, and a recent study warned the figure could skyrocket if urgent action is not taken.
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