No antibiotics shortage in health clinics: Subra

PETALING JAYA: Doctors in public clinics were today told not to refer patients to private clinics to get their antibiotics.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam (pix) said there was no shortage of antibiotics at government health clinics nationwide and even if there was, the problem was only temporary.
"The ministry has a policy of moving medicine from other government health clinics, in cases of supply shortage.
"There are policies to ensure that if you don't have these antibiotics in a particular clinic, you can move it from other clinics," he said at the second Cambridge-Oxford-Sunway Biomedical Symposium today.
Commenting on a report on alleged antibiotics shortage at government health clinics nationwide, he said sometimes, it depends how health clinics manage their stocks and prepare to meet the demands.
"To prevent any kind of shortage, we have asked all health clinics to better manage their stock from now," he said.
He said his ministry was aware of incidents where patients had to get their prescribed antibiotics at private clinics and said it was wrong.
"There should not be such a problem, but we are aware some doctors send their patients elsewhere to get medication," he said
But he also said the issue should can be easily solved as long as doctors from our private clinics worked together.
On another matter, Dr Subramaniam also cautioned the public to be wary of the experimental use of stem cells that does not adhere to mainstream science.
He added that commercial interests in stem cell research should not overtake the ethical aspects.