A worker inspects rubber gloves at a section of the assembly line at a Top Glove manufacturing plant in Meru, Klang. — Bernama file photo
KUCHING (July 4): The Malaysian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association (Margma) is calling for urgent resolution to mitigate disruption of glove supply to 195 countries across the globe.
Its president Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam said 58 per cent of all gloves produced in Malaysia came off the glove manufacturers located in Selangor where the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) is currently enforced.
“Since the government’s announcement on the EMCO in Selangor, global customers of our manufacturers have been calling with great concern on shortage of production and delivery of gloves to them.
“Our members are under tremendous pressure from global hospitals and healthcare workers as the pandemic has now evolved into another variant,” he said in a statement.
According to Supramaniam, Malaysian manufacturers play a big role in humanity response as the largest producer of gloves as a medical device, supplying to 67 per cent of global consumption.
He thus appealed to the government to allow these glove factories to continue to operate while adhering to strict standard operating procedures (SOP).
Since April, he said Margma members had agreed to vaccinate all employees at the company’s own costs.
“All glove employees, besides being registered for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme on MySejahtera, are registered with Pikas, Selvax and the latest Vacoms.
“However, up until today, we are still waiting for the delivery of vaccines,” he added.
Supramaniam asserted that the global demand for gloves remains extremely robust for the healthcare sector and Margma members had been urged to pay more attention to supply to hard-hit nations including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South American nations.
As Europe and America move towards a recovery phase, he said Margma members are gearing up to meet the demand of the non-healthcare sectors such as food handling, industrial, cleanroom laboratory, dermatology and tattooing.
He said these sectors traditionally made out about 17 per cent of glove consumption.
“Global demand for gloves this year is expected to remain at 420 billion pieces with 13,318 pieces used every second around the world. Demand growth will be expected at 15 to 20 per cent for next year.
“There is a big fear going around the global healthcare sectors when our government announced the possibility of a shut-down of the glove industry as the medical gloves are sorely needed to protect the frontliners and hospital staff.
“The worry is further heightened when it comes to surgical gloves, if there is a shut-down, as no operation is possible without the sterilised surgical gloves being available,” he added.