Health Ministry: Sufficient Tamiflu stock at all health facilities

KUALA LUMPUR: Stocks of Tamiflu at both public and private health facilities in the country remain sufficient, and there have been no complaints of a shortage of the influenza antiviral medication.

Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said moreover, applications for permits by private health facilities to import Tamiflu have increased since December.

“There is no shortage of Tamiflu, as it is a contract item supplied by Pharmaniaga.

“However, private facilities are required to apply for a permit to import Tamiflu, and they do not have any issues in obtaining it from suppliers outside Malaysia.

“From January till November last year, there was no application for the permit to import Tamiflu from private healthcare facilities. However, in Dec 2019, the application increased. As the usage of antiviral increased, the assigned pharmaceutical company’s stock for Tamiflu is just enough for the usage of government healthcare facilities,” he said in a statement, today.

Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry has also facilitated the application process by reducing the period to five days.

Children below the age of 5, the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying medical issues have been advised to get the influenza vaccine provided by private healthcare facilities.

Source: NST