SUBANG JAYA: The Health Ministry has denied claims of an antibiotics shortage at government health clinics nationwide.
Its minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the ministry has a policy of moving medicine from other government health clinics, in cases of supply shortage.
"If there is a shortage of supply of a particular medicine in one health clinic, we can move it (the stock) from other health clinics.
"This policy is to ensure that we do not face any shortage of medicine," he told reporters after launching the 2nd Cambridge-Oxford-Sunway Biomedical Symposium at Sunway University here today.
Subramaniam was responding to a report on supposed antibiotics shortage at government health clinics nationwide.
He however noted that shortages can occur at times.
"Sometimes, it depends on how the health clinics manage the stocks and how they prepare to meet the demands.
"To prevent shortage, we have asked the health clinics to manage it in a better manner."
Asked on claims that some doctors had asked patients to get their medicine at private clinics, Subramaniam said such acts were wrong.
"We have educated our doctors not to do so.
"If the doctor feels that a particular medicine is needed by the patient, then we have a system within the government to make sure that medicine is available."
Subramaniam said the decision to dispense antibiotics depends on the doctor.
"For example, in diarrhoea cases, most doctors in government health clinics will not dispense antibiotics.
"However, some doctors in the general practice might give antibiotics, which may not necessarily be right.
"But if you have a lung infection for example, I do not think the doctor will say no (to prescribing antibiotics)."
Meanwhile, on the symposium, Subramaniam applauded the Sunway Group's commitment to improve the quality of healthcare in the country.
The symposium was jointly organised by the Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine, Oxford University Nuffield Department of Medicine, Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway University and the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences of Monash University Malaysia.
Present was Jeffrey Cheah Foundation founder and trustee Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, who is also the founder and chairman of Sunway Group.
The symposium, themed 'Stem Cells: From Biology to Theraphy', will see the participation of 450 medical consultants, practitioners, academics, healthcare professionals and government officials.
At the event, Cambridge University also signed several agreements with the Sunway Group and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.