KUCHING: The medication shortage predicament faced by private clinics will not place the health of Sarawakians in jeopardy.
The assurance came from Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian who said private clinics running low on medications could “borrow supplies” from government facilities.
“I am very grateful that Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin took immediate action when I conveyed the issue of medication shortage local private GP clinics and pharmacies.
“Private clinics can borrow from government facilities. Moreover, patients from these private clinics can also get their prescriptions (from their doctors) and buy their medicines from private pharmacies or walk into government clinics to get their medications,” he said in his TikTok account today (June 20).
Therefore, the issue of shortage of medicines endangering the health of Sarawakians shouldn’t arise, he said.
“We try our best to make sure that everyone stays strong and healthy,” he added.
On June 12, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii had called for greater urgency in ensuring all healthcare facilities in Sarawak had sufficient medication to treat patients, especially children.
He made the call after getting reports from a paediatric specialist clinic in Miri that it was unable to treat children with asthma, common fever, cough and cold due to shortage of supply of medications from suppliers and local pharmacies running out of stock.
“According to the doctor, he has run out of Ventolin nebules and Ventolin solutions to treat asthma for more than two weeks, and based on the report, many other paediatric GPs are facing the same issue and even our Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian has confirmed that some private clinics in the city of Miri have already stopped seeing patients after their medicine supplies ran out.
“This is a serious medical predicament or even possibly a crisis if not dealt with immediately as our patients will continue to suffer and in a worst-case scenario may lead up to unwanted consequences as some of these conditions are life-threatening if the patients are unable to obtain the necessary medications immediately,” Dr Yii had claimed.
