Single-use medical devices being processed normally: Health Ministry

PETALING JAYA: While there are a number of single-use medical devices that are used multiple times by hospitals, it has nothing to do with the lack of fund by the government, the Health Ministry said.
Its director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the recycling of these devices has been long practised in Malaysia and is a norm even in local private health facilities, as well as hospitals in developed countries like the United State and European nations.
He explained that these devices would undergo reprocessing via thorough cleansing and sterilisation processes before it could be used for a few times.
"The Medical Device Authority (MDA) has conducted a preliminary survey to look into this practice in Malaysian public and private hospitals.
"Interestingly, the finding revealed that 37% out of 40 private hospitals surveyed reuse and reprocessed the single-use devices, similar to the practice in MOH hospitals.
"The important factors which can never be compromised in this practice are infection control and the patient safety," he said in a statement today.
Noor Hisham was responding to a report by an online portal, quoting a healthcare source as saying that a lack of fund is driving some government hospitals to recycle single-use devices at the risk of patient safety.
"This includes equipment used in neurosurgery to cardiology, and even in general surgeries. In cases where equipment used to be thrown away, doctors are now being asked to recycle the equipment," the source said.
Refuting the report as mere allegation aimed at sensationalising the matter, Noor Hisham said the ministry has always upheld and prioritised patients' safety and standard of care in healthcare provision.
He also explained that all consumables and single-use medical devices utilised for patient with Blood Borne Diseases are disposed after single use.
"The ministry has published specific guideline in relation to this (Policies and Procedures on Infection Control) and health professionals are expected to adhere to this guideline in their clinical practice.