THE Malaysia Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) is questioning the Government’s decision of instructing all medical glove manufacturers in Selangor to cease production under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), despite the product being an important personal protective equipment (PPE) item and should fall under the essential category.
According to MARGMA, Selangor hosts the largest congregation of medical rubber glove manufacturers and combined, they produce about 58% of all medical examination and sterilised surgical gloves to the world, while Malaysia as a whole produces about 67% of total glove consumption globally.
Which is why the closure order took the industry by surprise, as medical gloves have been an essential PPE item for the medical and frontline health care workers.
In response to the queries and the flood of messages MARGMA received from Embassies, hospitals and the healthcare sectors from across the world, the association’s president Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam said: “It is understandable why such a sudden instruction to shutdown can cause anguish and consternation.
“Therefore, this decision is incomprehensible as surgery and the examination of patients of critical cases cannot be done without donning a pair of protective medical gloves. It is in the healthcare SOP for sure.”
Meanwhile, MARGMA members has been inundated with expression of concerns from its global buyers.
In sharing this big concern about the shutdown, a major French healthcare and medical glove distributor, Euromedis SA’s Mathieu Roturier had this to say: “Malaysia must perform its obligations to the world to ensure adequate supply of medical gloves to the hospitals. This sudden closure is sending a bad signal that Malaysia is not capable to fulfill its global supply as a leading medical glove producer, it is about responsibility also.”
With that, Supramaniam pleads for the Government to reinstate the productivity of all medical glove manufacturers in Selangor.
“Notwithstanding, the huge economic losses to the nation, we nevertheless, have a more important duty and responsibility to ensure no disruption to this very essential medical item, for the nation as well as the 195 countries who depend on our supply pipeline,” he added. – July 10, 2021
