Alshifa Medical Syringes Manufacturing Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of medical syringes in Saudi Arabia, has undertaken a massive expansion program at a cost of SR 33 million to more than double its annual production of different types of medical disposable syringes to 360 million pieces this year.
Currently the company produces over 160 million integrated insulin, vaccine and tuberculin syringes and syringes with luer lock at its plant established at a cost of SR 46.6 million in 1982 in the Dammam First Industrial City. The company looks forward to adopting auto-disable syringes patent in its new design of syringes.
Availability of Local Raw Materials Spurs Growth: Availability of locally manufactured raw materials particularly from the Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Al Ebitker Factory, Salman Group and Ciba Geigy has encouraged Alshifa management to step into such major expansion, said Mr.Fahad Sunaid A. Al Sunaid, General Manager of the company. He added that Alshifa would use SABIC's plastics materials in large quantity for its future production.
Alshifa' also imports a large quantity of raw materials . It imports a special grade of polymer for syringe barrels for better transparency from Belgium, Japan and Singapore. This polymer is Gamma radiation sterilization compatible.
Mr. Al Sunaid highlighted financial support from the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) for the growth of the medical and pharmaceutical industries in the Kingdom. He noted that Alshifa has received a loan from SIDF worth SR 20 million for its ongoing expansion program.
"Work on our expansion is nearing completion and production will start too soon" said Mr. Al Sunaid. He added that this expansion plan has been undertaken on the back of growing demand for Alshifa syringes in both local and export markets. At present, the company exports more than 40 million syringes to other GCC countries, Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Sudan and Pakistan. "We have planned to expand our export markets further," he observed.
Plea to Ban Low Quality Imported Syringes: Presently, 80 percent of Alshifa products are consumed by local healthcare sector. Its main customer is the Sundries Group of Hospitals (SGH), an agency through which pharmaceuticals and healthcare products have been supplied to the ministries of health in all GCC countries. A large number of Saudi private hospitals, clinics and health centers are also major buyers of Alshifa syringes. But Mr. Al Sunaid alleged that a significant number of private health service providers in the country have been using cheap low quality syringes imported into the Kingdom. He urged the government to set out standards and specifications for imported products and prevent low quality medical syringes from entering into the country.
"Alshifa syringes are produced under the brand names of Ramy & Shifa which are of high quality and conform to international standards", pointed out Mr. Majid Hassan Al Tarhouni, Quality Control Manager of the company. Giving an account of the quality of Alshifa syringes, he said that Alshifa production process complies with manufacturing practices laid-down by the World Health Organization (WHO). Its plant has been set up with German collaboration as per German standards (DIN 13098). Alshifa is an ISO 9000:2000 certified company. It is registered with FDA as a manufacturer of disposable syringes and received FDA (510 K) for its products. Alshifa syringes have been approved by the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) and granted with SASO mark.
"Physical and microbiological controls have been adopted at various stages of manufacturing process to make our syringes a medical tool of
high precision and excellent quality," said Mr. Al Tarhouni. Operationally, the factory is divided into several temperature zones and different working areas maintain their specified mercury levels and high standards of cleanliness for which GMP certification was granted by SASO.
Alshifa Company operates a Sterilization Services Center which uses a specific sterilization technology known as Gamma Radiation Sterilization and Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization. Gamma Irradiation is designed and installed by MDS Nordion formerly known as Atomic Energy of Canada. Gamma sterilization process yields 100% sterilized products. The Irradiation is well controlled for its safety and is compliant to International Radiation Sterilization standards. An Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization has been installed to meet the requirements of the Saudi Healthcare Industry for products which can not be sterilized with Gamma radiation.
Manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products in the Kingdom like National Medical Product Co., United Medical Industries Co., Medical Disposable Mfg. Co., Riyadh Pharma, Saudi Veterinary Co., Delta Medical, Saudi Arabian Plant Development, New Zealand Milk Co., Health Care System and Hospitals utilize Sterilization and Microbiological Services of the Alshifa Company.
© Saudi Commerce and Economic Review 2006
