Safety devices cut injuries by sharps by 59 per cent: Study

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“Health care workers’ safety has rarely been considered a priority,” said Munshi. However, since a couple of years, a network of hospitals has been implementing various initiatives to minimise needle-stick injuries. At Ruby Hall Clinic, a week-long campaign is under way. It aims to reach out to more than 1000 persons including doctors, nurses, Class III and IV staff.

“Monitoring of the needle-stick injuries is done every month. At times, there may be no cases, or in a month, there could be three cases. There is no published data yet on the number of such injuries,” Munshi said.

He added that a study on infection control for the last three years has shown that using safety devices has helped to reduce such injuries by 59 per cent. “We have instructed our staff that there is a need to avoid recapping or bending needles that are contaminated. Several safety measures like the lancet test and others have been used. These help ensure nobody gets injured,” Munshi added.