The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy said the crisis in the Persian Gulf places many patients on haemodialysis – an important treatment for kidney failure – at “tremendous” risk.
“Strategic stockpiles of essential dialysis consumables and other critical disposables need to be established. (These are) protected reserves for products that sustain life and cannot tolerate disruption,” its CEO, Azrul Khalib, said in a statement.
Azrul said that when supply routes through one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints – the Strait of Hormuz – are disrupted, the consequences do not end at the petrol or diesel pump.
“They travel through the petrochemical chain, into plastics manufacturing, and eventually into hospitals, operating theatres, pharmacies, treatment centres, and community clinics,” he said.
He said the healthcare system relies heavily on plastic-based medical devices, consumables, and disposables, and any supply disruption could jeopardise treatment continuity, especially dialysis care.
Azrul said Malaysia has one of the highest incidence rates of end-stage renal disease in the Asia-Pacific region and globally, with about 60,000 patients nationwide, 90% of whom depend on haemodialysis.
“Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) need dialysis or a kidney transplant. For Malaysia, the ongoing crisis in the Persian Gulf places many patients on haemodialysis at tremendous risk.
“For patients with ESRD requiring treatment three times each week, dialysis is not an option that can be deferred, delayed or compromised. Lives are put at risk and could be lost. For them, it becomes a matter of life and death,” he said.
Other recommendations
Azrul urged the government to identify a list of critical naphtha-dependent medical products and consumables, especially those used in dialysis, intensive care, surgery, and emergency medicine.
Naphtha is a vital petroleum derivative used in plastic manufacturing and petrochemicals to produce items such as blood tubing sets, IV lines, catheters, sterile packaging, syringes, dialyser housings, nebulisers, specimen containers, and drainage bags.
“The government needs to know exactly which items are most exposed, where they come from, how long existing stocks will last, and where the choke points are,” he said.
He also said public procurement policies must prioritise reliability, diversified sourcing, and crisis resilience, noting that the cheapest contract is worthless if it fails in an emergency.
Additionally, he said, Malaysia must invest in and incentivise domestic and regional manufacturing capacity for medical-grade plastics, components, finished consumables, and devices more aggressively to reduce single-point dependence and ensure continuity of care.
Earlier today, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry will accelerate the supply of medical devices by introducing a special access pathway, particularly amid the shortages caused by the Middle East conflict.