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Japan is moving to address a potential shortage of medical supplies after doctors warned that disruptions to the flow of oil and naphtha from the Middle East could sharply reduce supplies within two months. The Gulf region supplies Asia with crude oil and naphtha, key feedstocks for producing chemicals used in many medical items.
Doctors say the problem is worsening as the Hormuz Strait remains closed, tightening naphtha availability for Asia. Dr. Hiromichi Ito, who runs a clinic in Tokyo, said that as supplies become harder to obtain, delivering essential medical services at the required quality becomes more difficult. He warned that if the disruption continues, Japanese medical facilities may not be able to provide the same level of high-quality care.
According to Nikkei Asia, some Japanese doctors expect procurement difficulties may force them to refuse injections, infusions, and other treatments for some patients over the next two months.
Some distributors of medical products in Japan have announced supply restrictions to prevent stockpiling, amid concerns about a rush to buy medical gloves, syringes, and catheters similar to patterns seen during Covid-19.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced a plan to begin releasing about one-tenth of the nearly 500 million medical gloves the government has stockpiled for pandemic use. She said clinics and dental facilities across regions have expressed concerns about medical-supply sources.
Ito said his clinic is finding it increasingly difficult to purchase gloves and IV fluids. He added that even when stock is available, prices are too high to cover under the health system’s pricing rules. The clinic’s current stock is expected to run out in about two months. If that happens, it would be unable to treat heatstroke patients during Japan’s hot summer and would need to refer them to larger hospitals.
Last week, Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno said there is no immediate shortage of medical-supply procurement, but the future remains uncertain. Nobuharu Yamamoto, who runs a clinic in Fukuoka, said reserves of items such as syringes, gloves, and catheters are running low and could be exhausted in one to two months.
Yamamoto said that if these items cannot be procured, hospitals would face significant difficulties.
On a prior Wednesday, Takaichi announced a package of about US$10 billion to ensure crude-oil supply for Southeast Asian countries that help supply Japan with medical materials. Tokyo has prepared for oil-supply disruptions, including a stockpile equivalent to 250 days of net imports.
However, the reserve does not address Japan’s dependence on goods produced through chemical refining in other Asian countries that rely on imported crude oil or naphtha from the Gulf.
Nikkei Asia notes that other Asian nations are also concerned about medical-supply chains. Authorities in South Korea warned about price manipulation and stockpiling of medical supplies and last week banned hoarding of syringes and needles. Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung urged vigilance against disruptions to the flow of essential chemicals used to produce gloves, syringes, and medicines, saying the global supply chain is a complex network with domino effects.
Experts say Japan is in a particularly difficult position because regulations do not allow hospitals to charge higher fees to offset higher medical-supply costs, even as prices for some products have doubled.
Masahiro Kami, president of the Health Management Research Institute, warned that Japanese hospitals have been affected by low medical-fee levels, rising inflation, and a weak yen. He said further cost increases could force some hospitals to shut permanently.
Askul, a major Japanese medical-supply distributor, said last week it is limiting supplies of rubber gloves and medical bandages to prevent shortages as customers hoard.
Some industry figures believe Japan may have more time than before to respond. Yukio Aoki, an adviser at the Japan Medical Supplies Distributors Association, said stockpiles were expanded after the Covid-19 pandemic, but producers have signaled potential future disruptions that could limit deliveries.
He added that if the situation lasts for about six months, the scenario could become very serious.
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