IRGMA urges ban on non-compliant imported gloves for healthcare safety

New Delhi: The Indian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association (IRGMA) has called for stringent measures to enhance safety in hospitals and the healthcare sector by advocating for a ban on non-compliant imported gloves. 

In a recent initiative aimed at mitigating risks to medical professionals and patients alike, IRGMA has petitioned the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to prohibit the import of chlorinated gloves. The association has also alerted the Customs (Imports) Department regarding violations of bio-waste disposal rules by importers, particularly concerning phased-out chlorinated gloves that continue to enter the country illegally.

IRGMA emphasizes the need for adopting only Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) approved gloves, particularly through Government e-Marketplace (GEM), for use in government hospitals. This move aligns with the Quality Control Order (QCO) and Medical Device Rules (MDR) 2017 compliance set to take effect from October 1, 2022.

Highlighting the environmental and health hazards associated with chlorinated gloves, IRGMA referenced directives from the Central Pollution Control Board and the West Bengal State Pollution Control Board, which have already banned their use due to non-compliance with established guidelines. The association has communicated these concerns to the Malaysian Rubber Council, stressing that all forms of chlorinated gloves are prohibited in India under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s regulations and the Biomedical Waste Rules 2016.

Sunil Patwari, President of IRGMA, voiced, “It is time that these spurious imports and usage of chlorinated gloves be curbed as it is detrimental to the health of both the healthcare providers and the patients, and for their safety, the Government and the authorities must make firm implementations that impede the spurious circulation and import of chlorinated gloves.”

In addition, IRGMA issued a disclaimer to AIIMS, stressing the importance of procuring high-quality Disposal, Latex, and Nitrile gloves to meet prevailing standards and regulations. The association highlighted the serious safety and health risks posed by the ongoing import of substandard examination gloves. Notably, many countries in the US and Europe have already banned the use of powdered and coated Nitrile Gloves due to health concerns, underscoring the global consensus on the need for stringent quality controls in healthcare settings.

In support of this initiative, Konda Anindith Reddy, Managing Director of Wadi Surgicals Enliva Gloves, emphasized, “We need to ensure that we are providing the right quality gloves to the medical practitioners for the safety of them and the patients as well. This kind of trust will come only if there is a stringent regulation on the spurious circulation and import of chlorinated gloves.”

The Indian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association (IRGMA) has urged swift government action to halt the circulation of non-compliant gloves in healthcare. They are calling on the Department of Pharmaceuticals to finalize the Quality Control Order (QCO) and directing the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to enforce Rule 2 of Chapter 7, banning spurious and chlorinated gloves. IRGMA insists that government hospitals procure only BIS-approved Nitrile Gloves to uphold stringent safety standards. They emphasize that these measures are critical to preventing the use of poor-quality gloves, ensuring the safety of healthcare providers and patients.