THE federal government must intervene immediately to ensure sufficient medicine in Sarawak so that care for children is not disrupted, Dr Kelvin Yii said.

The Bandar Kuching lawmaker was responding to a report from a paediatric clinic in Miri that said it could not conduct physical therapy for children with asthma due to the shortage of Ventolin and other common fever, cough and cold medication as its stock has run out. 

“The clinic’s doctor said a week ago that all their local pharmacies were already out of stock– the first time he is facing a medicine shortage in 30 years,” said Yii in a statement today. 

Among the items that have run out include Ventolin nebulas and Ventolin solutions to treat asthma. 

“Based on the report, many other paediatricians 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 problem. Our patients will continue to suffer and in the worst-case scenario there may be unwanted consequences as some of these conditions are life-threatening if the patients are unable to obtain the necessary medications immediately,” said the DAP leader. 

He said the issue was highlighted last month and he had then asked the Health Ministry (MOH) to intervene immediately.  

“In the short-term MOH must carry out an extensive audit and inventory of all pharmaceutical stocks in both public and private health facilities to understand the full extent of the country’s medicine shortage.   

“Such supplies should then be properly distributed nationwide based on needs like a ‘ring strategy’ to ensure areas of highest needs will get the needed supplies.  

“A private-public sharing mechanism to cut all necessary bureaucracy should be developed. There could be a mechanism where public facilities can either sell or loan drug supplies to fill in gaps at the private sector as well until they receive their supplies,” Yii added. – June 13, 2022.