HMD restarts production of syringes, needles after permission by CAQM

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas has allowed India's largest syringes and needles manufacturing company, Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices Limited (HMD) to restart its production that had been shut down as a part of a pollution-control drive in NCR region.

Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices (HMD) is providing syringes to the country and the world for the COVID-19 vaccination programme. But the factory was asked to shut down 'voluntarily' as part of a pollution-control drive undertaken by authorities in the National Capital Region (NCR) on Friday.

"Today (Monday), we start full operations on getting the formal letter," said HMD Managing Director Rajiv Nath.

"We are thankful to CAQM and Haryana State Pollution Control Board for the partial reprieve for allowing us to run our plants and continue to serve the public with much needed DispoVan disposable syringes and Kojak AD syringes. We appreciate the quick decision and the rationalized approach," he added further.

"We have to exercise restraint now till hopefully another order as a full reprieve comes to allow the use of diesel Gensets set, as permissible for hospitals and for formal coverage of COVID Critical Medical Devices including Syringes, for uninterrupted operations in public utilities and essential goods and service under Disaster Management Act," he said.

According to the statement from HMD, the company alone contributes to over 66 per cent of syringe supplies in India for curative healthcare and immunization. HMD daily produces 1.5 crore needles and 80 lakh syringes in the plant that was closed as a part of the anti-pollution drive.

( With inputs from ANI )