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Consumer electronics maker Samsung has said it is importing one million innovative Low Dead Space (LDS) syringes from South Korea that will reduce COVID-19 vaccine wastage.
LDS syringes minimise the amount of drug left in the syringes after an injection, reducing vaccine wastage, and thereby enabling 20 percent more people to get the dose with the same amount of vaccine.
LDS syringes, airlifted from South Korea, have been delivered to Uttar Pradesh – 325,000 each to the district administrations in Lucknow and Noida – while 350,000 LDS syringes will soon be handed over to the Greater Chennai Corporation in Tamil Nadu. These syringes will be deployed at COVID vaccination centres in the districts.
This is part of the company’s COVID support programme for the country.
“The technology behind LDS syringes has demonstrated up to 20 percent greater efficiency. That means if existing syringes were to deliver one million doses, LDS syringes could deliver 1.2 million doses with the same amount of vaccine,” Samsung said.
The company said it had helped the manufacturer of these syringes increase production capacity.
This innovative syringe has been introduced for usage in a few markets including the United States to optimise vaccination.
“Over the past few weeks, Samsung has focused on providing support to governments with Oxygen Concentrators and Oxygen Cylinders, and financial grants to purchase more of these equipment, as this was the need of the hour,” it said
“Now, as our country focuses on vaccinating the population, we are supporting this effort with innovative LDS syringes that will help reduce vaccine wastage and vaccinate more people with the same amount of vaccine,” said Partha Ghosh, Vice President and Head of CSR, Samsung India.
Samsung has pledged $ 5 million (Rs 37 crore) as its contribution to India’s fight against COVID-19, providing donations to central and state governments, and boosting the healthcare sector with essential medical equipment for hospitals, as part of its citizenship initiatives.
Samsung’s contribution includes $ 2 million worth of medical supplies, including 100 Oxygen Concentrators, 3,000 Oxygen Cylinders and one million LDS syringes.