Following a visit to the Arab Health Exhibition in Dubai, S Murray & Co were delighted to spend time with their Saudi Arabian distributor Cepco Medical Services Ltd at the end of January 2012. The visit included a series of training seminars and hospital visits and reinforced the excellent and long-standing relationship between the two companies.

Cepco Medical Services was established over 20 years ago. From the outset, S Murray is pleased to have been an important part of the company’s brand and agency portfolio. With a worldwide spotlight being placed on the transparency of surgical instrument manufacture, the visit provided an important opportunity to reinforce the integrity of the S Murray brand through the support of their local partner.

Over the last few months, S Murray & Co and Cepco Medical Services Ltd have worked together to register the S Murray surgical instruments range with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Food and Drug Authority. On 2nd November this registration was achieved and the license granted – a copy of which is available to download at the bottom of this article.

With the company’s instruments approved and used in a number of both private and national hospitals and facilities, S Murray appreciate the efforts that Cepco have made to establish the company’s products in the Kingdom. With a number of new projects in the pipeline, S Murray & Co look forward to further developing this partnership in the future.

View the license here.

As part of the ongoing development of the brand, S Murray is pleased to introduce a new Aural Forceps catalogue, containing photographic images of the products on offer.  The catalogue is the first of a series of new catalogues which are aimed at presenting the S Murray product range in a new photographic style, with close-up images showing the detailed working ends of these high quality, precision-made surgical instruments.

The development of the range follows an ongoing programme of investment by the company in new staff, tooling and machinery from the latter part of 2010 onwards.  Including Hartmanns, Ormerods, Cawthornes and Fullers, the range catalogued is not the limit of the company’s capability and this investment means that S Murray & Co also welcomes requests to manufacture alternative patterns.

In response to growing market demand, the standard finish of the S Murray range of Aural Forceps and Scissors is an anti-glare, satin finish.  For instances where markets prefer, the traditional black finish is also available by special order.

Over the coming weeks and months, the company will be bringing out more new catalogues, each focusing on different product areas and surgical disciplines.  The aim is not only to highlight the quality of these British made products through the visual appearance of the images, but also to introduce new products as the company continues to expand its range for the future.

The 47th AfPP Congress & Exhibition was held from 18th to 21st October 2011 at the Bournemouth International Centre. Taken on the road from its traditional home in Harrogate, the congress was opened by Councilor Chris Rochester, The Mayor of Bournemouth, pictured above with (from left to right*) Tracy Coates, President AfPP; Dawn Stott, Chief Executive, AfPP; Mrs Val Rochester, Mayoress of Bournemouth and Luke Fryer, Managing Director, Medline Industries Ltd (Platinum Partner – AfPP2011).

The main theme of the AfPP2011 was “Challenges and Change: leading from the front line” – offering delegates an understanding of the changes affecting healthcare delivery and their impact on the clinical safety aspects of caring for perioperative patients. S Murray was delighted to have been able to participate in the congress and thanks the AfPP team again for their hospitality during the event.

The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) was established in 1964 as the National Association of Theatre Nurses (NATN). “It is a charity providing education and support to theatre nurses, Operating Department Practitioners and all those working in and around operating departments” (from AfPP web-site).

AfPP’s vision is to “improve patient care through constantly developing and promoting the leading standards for perioperative practice and practitioners” and S Murray & Co is pleased to offer support in understanding the impact of medical devices in this field and to help provide a forum for partnerships between the Association and British industry.

For more information about the activities of the AfPP or for details about the 2012 Congress & Exhibition at the Birmingham ICC please follow the link below:

www.afpp.org.uk

In October 2011, S Murray was pleased to launch a new range of British made Laryngoscopes, Oesophagoscopes and Fibre Light Carriers, now manufactured at the company’s factory in Sheffield.  The development of the range follows an investment in staff, machinery and tooling towards the latter part of 2010 and represents an area of new product development for the company.

The high quality range of Laryngoscopes and Oesophagoscopes have handles, lumen and side tubes all manufactured from high quality surgical grade stainless steel and silver soldered for optimal autoclave resistance.  Finished with an anti-glare satin finish as standard, a black finish is also available by special order.

S Murray Fibre Light Carriers are manufactured to a 7.6mm connection in accordance to British Standard BS 4824. High quality fibre optic glass is used and heat sealed to the stainless tubing and mounts. The glass fibres are then optically polished at both the distal and mount ends for enhanced optical performance. The carriers are designed to fit securely within the side tubes to achieve maximum illumination in use.

Key products within the range include Fraser, R.N.T.N.E, and Rhys Evans Laryngoscopes, as well as Negus Laryngoscopes, Oesophageal Speculum and Oesophagoscopes – all with fibre light carriers to match.

The range is the first of a new wave of products being developed by the company as the S Murray product portofolio continues to expand and develop for the future.

View the Laryngoscopy catalogue online

Download the PDF (524kb)

On 8^th October 2011, S Murray & Co’s Malaysian distributor for surgical instruments, Darul Medik SDN BHD, was awarded the UDC Business Award 2011 for Best Importers and Suppliers. The award was presented by Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, (pictured centre) at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Managing Director A. J. Mohamed Rashid (pictured second from right) was delighted with the award, which “is a great achievement for us. GOD has been kind to us and I take it that it is a reward from GOD for the 35 years of hard work.”

S Murray & Co are delighted to have worked with Darul Medik for over 20 years, a partnership appreciated by A. J. Mohamed Rashid, feeling that “this success was not possible without your untiring support. You have never, at any one time, disappointed or let us down.  For this we are extremely grateful and indebted to you, and share this success with you.”

S Murray & Co has appreciated the support and loyalty shown by Darul Medik in turn and with A. J. Mohamed Rashid’s sons and family becoming an increasing part of the business over recent years, is looking forward to continuing to develop this relationship together.

“Substandard surgical tools from Pakistan are putting UK patients at risk of potentially deadly injury and infection, BBC Panorama has found.”  So reads the summary of the programme “Surgery’s Dirty Secrets”, aired by the BBC on 27^th June 2011,

In this edition of the “world’s longest running investigative TV show” (Panorama web-site), reporter Samantha Poling visits Sialkot, Pakistan to see at first hand the working conditions and business practices which occur in the manufacture of surgical instruments there.  As a result of the investigation, the BBC have “discovered that poor-quality surgical instruments are being supplied to the NHS.  Panorama has found that shoddy equipment, which is imported, could leave patients vulnerable to potentially life-threatening injury or infection”.  The BBC News UK web-site goes on to say that “faults include rough edges, steel burrs that can splinter during operations and corroded metals” (27^th June 2011).

The main thrust of the report focuses on three areas: the poor working conditions within Pakistan; the poor quality of instruments being manufactured there and the misleading way in which instruments are being marked overseas, thereby devaluing the genuinely higher quality products which are available in the marketplace.

As a prime British manufacturer of surgical instruments, with quality of both product and working conditions at the forefront of its efforts, S Murray & Co has welcomed the discussions which have followed the programme.  Over recent years, the company has seen a trend within the NHS for surgical instruments to have become devalued, almost commoditised items, where price has become the overriding purchasing decision criteria.  If at the very least the programme helps to create a greater awareness about the instruments which are being supplied into the NHS, and if it encourages consumers to re-engage with the important and significant role that surgical instruments play, then hopefully the questions over the true value of quality and the cost of getting it wrong can really be understood and addressed collectively.

Links to the programme and the BBC web-site referred to above, as well as S Murray’s response statement can be found as follows:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012b0v5

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13894880

Download S Murray manufacturer’s statement of origin PDF

According to UK Trade & Investment, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are all designated “High Growth Markets”, with Singapore “ranked number one globally by the World Bank in it’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ report” and also constituting “an ideal springboard to South-East Asia” (from UKTI web-site www.ukti.gov.uk, 2011).

For S Murray & Co these countries have always been key markets for the company and the visit from the 16th to 26th May 2011 by Managing Director Peter Murray and Sales Director Tristan Murray was an important opportunity to reinforce these long-standing relationships together.

Malaysia and Singapore have historically been very strong laboratory markets for S Murray & Co, in particular for the company’s glass products, including Trident Vials, Test Tubes, Specimen Tubes and Jars. The company is also delighted with the development of new relationships in both Indonesia and Singapore, which are already showing signs of continuing this trend for the company.

New initiatives and range extensions for the company’s surgical products, combined with a very strong relationship with S Murray’s Malaysian distributor Darul Medik SDN BHD, certainly makes the market place an exciting prospect for the future.

Over the years, S Murray & Co has rationalised its global distribution network, focusing on key partners to promote the S Murray product range and brand. These relationships have been especially personal in Malaysia, with some partnerships spanning multiple generations within the same organisation. As the next generations become increasingly involved in their respective companies, it creates a sense of enthusiasm and optimism that these relationships will go from strength to strength in the years ahead.

In the year that Emmanuel Mutai smashed the course record for the men and fellow Kenyan Mary Keitany won the title in the women’s race, there were two runners slightly further back in the field who were making history of their own in the 2011 Virgin London Marathon.  Running on behalf of Save the Rhino, Quenton Greene of Medequip South Africa and Tristan Murray of S Murray & Co were running in their first London Marathon – a day that they will both remember for a long time to come.

An experienced marathon runner, with more than one Comrades double marathon to his name, this was the first time that Quenton had participated in the London Marathon.  Running in aid of Save the Rhino, a charity close to his heart in his native South Africa, Quenton managed to encourage Tristan into joining him in the event on his visit to South Africa in November 2010

“It was an amazing experience” writes Tristan “and I cannot thank Quenton enough for getting me involved in what I now realise is such a special event.  The support we received from friends, family and colleagues throughout the build up to the day was so touching and is something which I will cherish and appreciate for a very, very long time.”

In total, the pair raised over £2,500 for the charity, with a wonderful contribution made possible by Scientific & Chemical, who adopted the cause as their charity fundraiser at their Annual 2011 Suppliers Training Day.  To everyone that sponsored and supported them, both Quenton and Tristan send their heartfelt thanks.

For more information about Save the Rhino visit: http://www.savetherhino.org and for the London Marathon: http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/

S Murray & Co’s Sales Manager, Tristan Murray, received a warm welcome during his sales visit to South Africa from 6^th to 14^th November 2010.  The visit had two main motivations: to support the company’s exclusive distributor for surgical instruments and to reinforce the long-standing relationships with the company’s principle laboratory customers.

During the Summer of 2010, S Murray & Co agreed to appoint Medequip as their sole distributor for surgical instruments throughout South Africa.  The relationship has been a solid one since the initial meeting to discuss drapers scissors on 22^nd September 1980 between Peter Murray and Geoff Bacon, (S Murray and Medequip respectively).  Over 40 years later, the relationship has grown from strength to strength and S Murray and Co is proud to support Medequip in the marketplace, with Tristan Murray and Quenton Greene taking on the roles today.

The laboratory relationships have a similar length of history behind them.  Although the names may have changed over the years, the relationships with Merck NT and Laboratory & Scientific Equipment Supplies remain steadfast.  Sales have predominantly focused on the SAMCO brand of glass and plasticware, with particular emphasis on the dairy, mining and agricultural applications of the product range.  S Murray & Co is now looking forward to supporting the market for hopefully the next 40 years too!

On 26^th May 2010, Ebin Rushed Pharmacy Co LLC was successfully awarded accreditation to ISO 9001: 2008, for “Sales, Services & Distribution of Pharmaceutical, Laboratory, Dental, Surgical, Medical Equipments & related products”.

S Murray & Co has worked in partnership with Ebin Rushed Pharmacy to promote their surgical instruments in the Sultanate of Oman for well over 20 years and is pleased to have supported in the attainment of this quality accreditation.

General Manager of Ebin Rushed Pharmacy, Titty Thomas, has been a key part of the relationship with S Murray & Co and takes “this opportunity to thank you all for your support and co-operation in the past for our successful business growth”.

Ebin Rushed Pharmacy Co LLC is part of the Suhail Bahwan Group (pictured above).  The  Suhail Bahwan Group today ranks as one of Oman’s foremost business houses, with interests in engineering and construction, manufacturing and industrial investments, Information technology, trading and specialized services among others. The Group comprises more than 40 companies with a combined currently annualized turnover of more than US$ 3 billion (2008) and employs over 15,000 personnel*.

* Data and more information available from www.suhailbahwangroup.com.