KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — The medicine shortage in Johor has become so acute that some clinics have been forced to close temporarily, while some doctors have chosen an early retirement, state chairman of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) Datuk Dr Yap Cheong Cur reportedly said.

He said that only a small number of clinics was affected, and MMA had a network of doctors who “lend” supplies to those in dire need but that it was only a short-term solution, according to a news report by The Star.

“The clinics would stay closed from just days to weeks, depending on whether they could replenish their medicine supply.

“Some doctors, especially those who are more senior and run smaller clinics, even decided to give up and go into retirement.

“This is not only happening in Johor but other states as well because the medicine shortage is a global problem,” he was quoted as saying.

The doctors have also taken up Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s offer to borrow medicine from government facilities, he reportedly added.

He also reportedly advised doctors to prescribe only necessary medicines to patients, adding that alternative medicine brands have been selling very quickly because of people treating Covid-19 symptoms on their own at home.

“The market is now feeling the after-effects of the global lockdown and stop-work policies enforced during the pandemic,” he was quoted as saying.

He reportedly said that lockdown policies, especially in China, disrupted the medicine manufacturing industry, leading to the acute shortage.

“Then there is the issue of raw material shortage and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“We hope to get some relief in the coming months as major pharmaceutical companies have said that supply will be restored by the fourth quarter of the year,” he was quoted as saying.

However, MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai reportedly said they do not have data on clinics which have temporarily closed because of the medicine shortage but there are anecdotes relating how some clinics have considered it.

Although there was a shortage of some medicines, it was infrequent and only in some places because of issues related to distribution, he reportedly added.

He also reportedly said this was the case for medicines for cough, cold and fever.

Khairy told Parliament on July 26 that Malaysia is expected to recover from the ongoing nationwide shortage in medicine and medical supplies by the fourth quarter of this year.

He said his ministry is taking several initiatives to address the current shortage, including encouraging local pharmaceutical companies to produce their own medicines using active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) obtained through a public-private collaboration.