PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry (MOH) will still be able to prescribe human insulin to patients until the end of the year, assured its minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
This was despite the ministry being aware of a potential shortage after one of its providers was unable to meet its contractual obligations, he said.
“The available supply can still last until the end of the year, so the situation is not critical.
“It is an issue that was raised, and it is one that we have been monitoring.
“But we are looking at another supplier. We are negotiating, and there are commitment from others.
“We want to ensure (the supplier) still fulfils its contractual obligation. As such, we are talking with them, and they should be able to provide from the Johor plant or India.
“We are discussing with the Indian principle Biocon so that they can supply either from locally or overseas,” he told reporters here yesterday after witnessing the memorandum signing for the Malaysia International Healthcare Megatrends 2024 event, organised by MOH in collaboration with KPJ Healthcare Bhd.
Also present at the event were Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, and KPJ Healthcare president and managing director Chin Keat Chyuan.
Last week, MOH clarified that the recent disruption to the supply of human insulin at its local facilities was caused by production issues.
To ensure uninterrupted patient treatment, MOH has implemented several measures, including increasing the use of analogue insulin and oral therapies, as determined by the clinical assessment of each patient by their treating physician.
It had said that out of the 41 medications for treating diabetes, only human insulin is facing supply issues.
Dzulkefly also gave the assurance that the shortage will not affect patient care, whereby no one will be denied human insulin, and that MOH has asked other overseas suppliers to put in their dossiers for registration with the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
“We will go on the fast track of 60 days via NPRA, as opposed to (the normal) six months to expedite human insulin resources from other suppliers,” he said.
On the mpox issue, Dzulkefly said the government is on alert and has strengthened border controls, though there has yet to be any new cases of mpox in the country to date.
“We have activated all of our eight laboratories and alerted our National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC), as well as sending regular circulars to all our healthcare facilities, both in public and private sectors.
“We are on the alert at our borders with Singapore and Thailand, but we are also on the lookout for those coming from Africa especially,” he said.
As of Aug 25, MOH has screened 31 people for suspected mpox, where 25 tested negative, with the rest put under surveillance.
Last Sunday, the Home Minister said it was monitoring the country’s four main entry points to assist MOH on mpox prevention.
Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the four main entry points are KLIA’s Terminals 1 and 2, as well as Johor’s Sultan Iskandar Building and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex.
He said the Home Ministry also monitors illegal migration routes along the country’s borders, especially around Kelantan’s Sungai Golok, through the General Operations Force.
