The Middle East is awaiting a Qatar plant that will produce safety syringes with retractable needle, said to be one of the recent discoveries in the field of safety syringes and which reportedly affords better production against the risk of transferable infection.

The German company, Siekmann, is the owner of a world patent for the product, which is expected to replace conventional syringes, and is a partner (6 per cent stake) in the company that will be manufacturing them - Qatar German Company for Medical Devices (QGCMD). Intravenous catheters and obturators will also be produced in the first phase of the plant to be set up in a new industrial area near Abu Hamour by the end of this year or within the first quarter of 2002.

Products the company plans for a later stage are blood-bag systems, intravenous administrations sets, tracheal tubes and dental needles, among other devices. The promoter is Qatar Industrial Development Bank, which has a 16 per cent stake. The authorised capital of the company is QR55 million.