Page 56 - FIGHT AGAINST UNCERTAINTY 5 FEB 2021

Medical Equipment

& Supplies

The Medical Equipment Team of the CPRC Hospital
Services was tasked to prepare and equip all public
hospitals at the start of the pandemic in Malaysia.
This included ensuring adequate supply of PPE,
equipping ICU facilities and stockpiling medication.
As this was the initial start of the pandemic countries
were not in lockdown and there were no import
restrictions. However, this looked different during
the second wave. At this time, the CPRC Hospital
Services were challenged in many ways. There was a
need to meet the unprecedented levels of demand for
medical devices. This was in response to the sudden
surge in cases similar to what was experienced in the
rest of the world.

Such an unprecedented event, meant that MOH
had to deal with a worldwide shortage of medical
equipment. With many countries implementing
export bans, shipments to Malaysia were cancelled or
delayed. This called for a reshuffling of strategies and
plans in order to secure 800 units of ventilators and
other equipment required for our public hospitals.

1. Report by the New Straits Times,
1 2 21 March 2020
2 - 3. News on medical devices global
3 export restriction

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