Johor assembly gets clarification about medicines shortage

State exco member says government has taken various proactive measures to ensure that all patients have an adequate supply of medicines.

KOTA ISKANDAR: The shortage of medicines at Johor hospitals and clinics which involves 30 types or 3% of the 1,000 types of medicines available is also a national issue, the Johor Legislative Assembly was told today.

State Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Ayub Rahmat said this was because suppliers were unable to meet the high demand for these medicines.

He was replying to a question from Mohamad Taslim (PAS-Mahari), who wanted to know the reason for the shortage of medicines at government hospitals and clinics, and the provision of medicines for only a short period which he claimed inconvenienced patients.

Ayub, who is the assemblyman for Kemelah, said the government had taken various proactive measures to ensure that all patients had an adequate supply of medicines.

These included offering various valued-added services to enhance patients’ accessibility to their follow-up medicine supply and impose a penalty on suppliers who did not keep to the delivery deadline, he said. -FMT