The hepatitis B outbreak in Modasa, Gujarat, had brought to light how syringes were re-used by unscrupulous doctors.

The Modasa outbreak has now led the Maharashtra Health Equity and Rights Watch — a project of Sathi-Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) — to disclose findings of their survey that points to a massive use of injections in the state.

The survey shows an irrational and excessive use of injections by private practitioners. Given the lack of regulation of the private medical sector, an outbreak like Modasa cannot be ruled out in Maharashtra, Dr Abhay Shukla, coordinator of Jan Arogya Abhiyan, a statewide network of various community based organisations including Sathi-CEHAT said.

Dr Nilangi Sardeshpande, head of the research wing at CEHAT, said that poor, uneducated patients have been made to believe that injections are superior to oral medication. “Not more than 5-10 per cent patients actually require injections,” she pointed out.

A total of 1,659 households were covered in the survey and 85 per cent of those surveyed were treated by private practitioners. Researchers found that patients in rural areas (73 per cent), tribal areas (86 per cent) and from the poorest class (81 per cent) were exposed to overuse of injections.

“The injection use was the highest in Nandurbar (80 per cent), followed by Gadchiroli (70 per cent) Nashik (79 per cent), Thane (69 per cent) and Pune district (67 per cent),” said Shukla. In fact, Mumbai city recorded the lowest use of injections, just 20 per cent. Patients were given injections for body ache, gastritis, respiratory ailments, diarrhoea and malaria.

The CEHAT activists have called for a regulation of the private medical sector, which should include registration of all private practitioners and strict punitive action against quacks, minimum standardisation norms including rational treatment guidelines and sterilisation measures.

Other measures suggested include protection of patient’s rights like right to information about treatment and the hazards, and immediate implementation of the draft rules 2006 under the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act (amended).