LPG shortage brings Wadi Surgicals plant to grinding halt

HYDERABAD/VIZAG: Wadi Surgicals Pvt Ltd, a manufacturer of nitrile examination gloves at Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone in Visakhapatnam, said on Thursday that it was forced to keep its plant shut for the past four days due to the non-availability of LPG from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) amid the escalating West Asia conflict. The disruption has halted production of nitrile examination gloves, a key medical consumable used in hospitals and laboratories, the company said. Classified as a Class A medical device, these gloves are essential for infection prevention, hygiene standards, and patient safety. Wadi Surgicals co-founder and managing director Anindith Reddy said glove manufacturing requires a continuous and stable LPG supply, and the interruption had led to a complete stoppage of production. He said the plant consumes around 4,500 kg of LPG per day and warned that a prolonged shutdown could affect healthcare providers that rely on the product to protect patients and medical staff. The company said it formally approached HPCL and relevant authorities, seeking urgent restoration of LPG supply on priority given the essential nature of the product. The company also urged the govt to intervene immediately to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to critical sectors so production could resume. HPCL, however, denied the allegations. Mahesh Ram, LPG Zonal Head at HPCL, described the company's claims as baseless and said there was adequate LPG stock for essential services. He alleged that Wadi Surgicals had not made the payment for LPG supplied. Refuting HPCL's claim, Wadi Surgicals procurement director Mohammed Ali said the company's relationship with HPCL was governed by a supply agreement backed by bank guarantees to ensure uninterrupted supply. He said there were no outstanding dues and that it was raising debit notes for daily losses caused by the disruption. He also alleged that despite repeated daily communication no HPCL official was responding to their emails. Ali appealed to HPCL and govt authorities to review the matter urgently and restore LPG supply at the earliest. The company warned that a prolonged disruption could affect glove supplies to hospitals across the country.