MoH lauded for prompt response to supplies shortage affecting private medical facilities

Datuk Lee Kim Shin

MIRI (June 15): General practitioners (GP) who run private clinics and medical centres here can now heave a sigh of relief following the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s proposal for the sharing of medicine supplies between the government hospitals and them in times of crisis.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, in a statement on Monday, had outlined a number of temporary measures meant to address medicine supply shortage, including letting private hospitals and clinics apply to obtain supplies ‘on loan’ from government facilities or other private hospitals.

In this regard, Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, who is also the minister-in-charge of Miri Division Disaster Management Committee, was all praise for the prompt and positive response from the MoH.

“I’m pleased to see the close cooperation and the proactive action by all quarters, both in the government and the private sectors, which have yielded the solution to this worrying global shortage faced by the private sector in the country,” said Lee, who is Senadin assemblyman.

In a recent statement, Lee had called upon the MoH to make ad hoc arrangements for its pharmaceutical supplier Pharmaniaga to temporarily assist the GP clinics here, which were facing an unusually acute shortage of essential paediatric medicine supplies.

He had warned that patients under private medical care would also go to government clinics or hospitals, where such a situation could drain their resources and cause further congestion if it was not resolved urgently.

In relation to this, Miri Hospital director Dr Jack Wong promptly reported the situation to the Health Department Sarawak.

Similarly, Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, who is in charge of public health matters in Sarawak, also responded immediately to Lee’s call for help by bringing up the matter to the MoH.

Code Blue Malaysia, in its website, reported that a private children and heart specialist clinic had asked for help from Miri Hospital for the latter to sell or loan its medical supplies, as the clinic was close to be running out of all paediatric medicines, which could only hold for a week at best.

Dato Dr Philip Raja, who runs a clinic here, said the out-of-stock medicines at his place included those used to treat coughs, cold and asthma, as well as some common antibiotics.

“My clinic has had the shortage of the solutions to treat asthma for more than two weeks.

“Many other clinics in the city are also experiencing the same predicament.

“So, thumbs-up for the MoH for such immediate action. Although it’s only a temporary measure, it can help address the shortage for the time being.

“It’s a very practical solution, as announced by our Health Minister, and I’m sure the supplies would recover to normal level at some point – hopefully, this situation would not last for too long,” said Dr Philip.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3HoW6uU
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