This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 15, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: The ministry of health (MoH) only has 19 days of supply left when it comes to jumpsuits or protective coveralls for healthcare workers on the frontline of the battle against the Covid 19 pandemic.

That is on the top of its list of fast-depleting personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile.

Next on the list are disposable fluid-resistant aprons (with long sleeves and cuffs), which the ministry has about 23 days’ worth of supply left, followed by face shields (like eye visors and goggles) (25 days), N95 surgical face masks (37 days), three-ply masks (47 days), protective head covers (52 days), and footwear or boot covers (78 days).

“As is widely known by now, PPE shortage is a global issue [that affects] almost every nation impacted by Covid-19. In the MoH’s facilities, PPE usage has also risen drastically following this pandemic outbreak. PPE is a key necessity for frontline health workers in the face of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“To ensure that PPE stocks are sustainable, the MoH has and will continue to carry out the procurement of PPE in bulk at the federal and state levels. The MoH is also working closely with the National Security Council, National Disaster Management Agency and other federal agencies to ensure the stock issue receives particular attention,” said MoH director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement yesterday. He welcomed PPE contributions from private parties, non-governmental organisations and individual donors.

The breakdown of the ministry’s PPE stockpile came a day after Noor Hisham said the ministry was left with about two weeks’ worth of PPE for the country’s healthcare workers.

The ministry is now closely monitoring stock levels and consumption rates of each type of PPE in every state, he said yesterday, based on reports from the respective states’ hospitals, health departments and district health offices.

For PPE shortage, he said, the public can report the issue to the ministry. A list of names, telephone numbers and email addresses to which a report can be sent will be made known to the public, he said. This will facilitate immediate reviews and stock mobilisation based on requirements and priorities.

He reminded healthcare workers that not every type of PPE available has to be donned when they are on duty. “In this regard, the MoH calls for careful and prudent use of PPE by healthcare workers,” he added.