PLASTIC PRODUCTS: NTUH has established a rapid response mechanism in the face of potential medical supply shortages due to the conflict in the Middle East
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By Hou Chia-yu, Lin Chih-yi and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters, with staff writer
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Hospitals say that they have initiated contingency measures in response to the impact of the Middle East conflict on medical supplies and electricity prices.
The ongoing conflict has led to oil price hikes that have impacted the global petrochemical supply chain, further pushing up the costs of some plastic medical products by 5 percent to 20 percent.
Medical manufacturing is highly dependent on the petrochemical industry. Items such as syringes, intravenous fluid bags, needles, gloves, suction catheters and medical packaging material are all made from plastics.
The Food and Drug Administration building in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
While the problem is compounded by delays in delivery and a potential supply shortage, many large domestic hospitals have initiated contingency measures to ensure continuity in clinical services.
The costs of importing medical supplies have risen by 20 percent and delivery periods were extended following the COVID-19 pandemic, National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) superintendent Yu Chung-jen (余忠仁) said.
Hospitals must continue to adjust their procurement and inventory strategies to maintain their operations, he said earlier this week, adding that NTUH has established a rapid response mechanism in the face of potential medical supply shortages due to the conflict in the Middle East.
It would seek to ensure the integrity of clinical services by searching for alternatives, optimizing procurement contracts and adjusting allocation quotas, as well as maintaining financial stability via cost controls, he said.
Some other hospitals have also established response mechanisms.
Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital said it has stocked up with more than a year’s supply of high-volume consumables such as gloves and suction catheters, in addition to its in-hospital inventory, which would be enough to sustain normal operations in the short term.
MacKay Memorial Hospital said it has increased its stock and placed early orders with suppliers, while Tri-Service General Hospital said its medicine and product supplies are stable and it would make rolling adjustments according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s latest policies.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) said the ministry has been examining the scope of the impact from the Middle East conflict on medical supplies.
Although the Executive Yuan has launched a program to enhance the nation’s pharmaceutical resilience, it remains on hold given that related budgets have yet to be passed by the legislature, Lin said.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Medical Devices and Cosmetics Division senior specialist Hsieh Chi-wen (謝綺雯) said that changes are limited to price fluctuations without stock or capacity shortages.
The administration has asked industry associations to inform suppliers that they must report any potential problems with supply, she said, adding that the administration would initiate alternative evaluations or imports if necessary.
FDA Medicinal Products Division senior specialist Yang Po-wen (楊博文) said that most pharmaceutical companies have enough inventory, but their quotation and delivery schedules might be less reliable.
The FDA has asked domestic raw material suppliers to prioritize supporting the manufacturing of pharmaceutical packaging materials, as well as report any potential problem with supply, he said.
Taiwan College of Healthcare Executives president Hung Tzu-jen (洪子仁) said that prices of some medical supplies have already increased 5 percent to 20 percent, or been delayed by two weeks to a month.
Supplies are high-volume consumables and their supply might not be sustained for long simply by using stockpiles, he said, adding that systemic solutions must be established.
Hung suggested that the government regard the medical consumable supply as a national security issue and set up a “national team” of medical consumable manufacturers, so that domestic manufacturing can be promptly activated in case the international supply chain is disrupted.
An early warning system for medical supply shortages should be implemented, while the feasibility of subsidies or a price buffer mechanism should also be explored, he said.
