1. Product Description: Like conventional syringes, plastic syringes are used for injections muscular as well as intravenous but the difference is that disposable syringes and needles are disposed of immediately after using them once. So every injection requires a new syringe and needle. Disposable syringes are made of plastics with nozzle and sold with needles. Disposable needles have plastic holders and they are presterilized and do not require any sterilization while using them. However, they cannot resist high temperature.
2. Rationale: Medical facilities are expanding in the Amhara Region though health coverage of the Region is the lowest among the major regions of the country. With 19 million people living in the Region, millions of syringes and needles are used every year in the Region. With HIV/AIDs being a major health hazard in the Region, the use of disposable syringes and needles has become an absolute must for people to protect themselves against diseases like HIV/AIDs. Given the health situation of the country, one could have expected to find a factory which produces the above products established by the government. Providing disposable syringes and needles should have been considered as an emergency situation. Having more than 25 percent of the country’s population, the Amhara Region should promote the establishment of a plant which can produce disposable syringes and needles.
3. Market Potential: Disposable syringes and needles are medical products, and as such their production requires the utmost care and the final products must be of the highest quality. If these conditions are met, there will be sufficient demand for disposable syringes and needles in the Amhara Region and its neighbors.
4. Source of Raw Material: Imported.
5. Process and Technology: Production of plastic syringe and needle has the following major steps. Preparation of compounding mixture, manufacture of plastic parts, manufacture of needles, assembling of the syringes, sterilization of the syringes and needless, and packing. Plastic parts are prepared with suitable dies and moulds on an automatic injections moulding machine. Needles are manufactured by feeding a bright drawn brass rod into the capstan lathe to turn out the hubs which has operations of turning drilling, cut off, and taper turning. The miniature drilling is carried out on high precision drilling machine. Then the hubs are sent for nickel chromium plating. After some additional processes are performed on the needle, both the needle and hubs are fitted to each other on the press machine. In some cases, needles are made by other specialized manufacturers. Once the manufacturing of parts is completed, sterilization, autoclaving, exposure to ethylene oxide, exposure to ionizing radiation and packing are performed.
Many types of machines are involved in the production of disposable syringes and needles. The most important include horizontal injection moulding machine, printing and embossing machine, assembling machine, precision drilling machine, precision cylindrical grinding machine, grinder, needle cutting and finishing unit, moulds, power press, capstan lathe, electroplating, air compressor.
6. Estimated Investment: For a plant that will produce about 420,000 disposable syringes per month, the estimated investment is as follows:
§ Buildings 700m2 at Birr 2500/m2 = Birr 1,750,000
§ Machinery = Birr 4,950,000
§ Working Capital = Birr 650,000
7,350,000
7. Benefits: Saves foreign exchange to the country and financial resources to the Region, promotes Regional self-sufficiency in important health care products, introduces new skills and technology to the Region.
8. Location: Combolcha, Bahir Dar.