Japan Patient Groups Seek Stable Supply of Medical Materials

Tokyo, April 2 (Jiji Press)–Representatives of cancer patient and other groups have submitted a request to the health ministry, calling for measures to ensure a stable supply of medical materials amid escalating Middle East tensions. “We want the government to present a firm system that puts people’s lives above all else,” a representative told a press conference at the ministry Wednesday, citing concerns over the supply of petroleum-based products. In the medical sector, plastics made from naphtha, a petroleum product, are widely used. Concerns over supply stability have intensified due to Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial transport route for crude oil. In response, the health and industry ministries established a task force last month to secure medical-related products. The patient and other groups called for the creation of a framework to ensure the procurement of medical materials and for greater transparency, including disclosure of supply outlooks if shortages are expected. “If supplies are disrupted, lives will be lost,” said Shinsuke Amano, who heads the Japan Federation of Cancer Patient Groups, one of the organizations that jointly submitted the request. “Once supply prospects become clear, we want sufficient information to be provided.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]