KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 24): The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) members are prepared to gear up glove production to meet requirements if the coronavirus outbreak becomes a pandemic.

In a statement today, MARGMA president Denis Low said while there may be a shortage of workers and a lack of overtime, the industry will have to tweak production lines to run at optimum levels, to churn out the medical gloves to supply to the world.

"Already, there are serious ongoing procurement of gloves from the affected areas and if it becomes pandemic, the demand can be astronomical.

"Taking a lesson from the H1N1 virus and the notion that the coronavirus can be much worse than H1N1, the rubber glove industry will certainly ramp up production to meet the demand, purely from a humanitarian stance," he said.

Low said that during the H1N1 outbreak, medical glove consumption grew by 17%, adding MARGMA members will provide the necessary humanitarian services to the healthcare sectors.

"We hope that the virus can be contained and will not spread as quickly as the H1N1.

"However, if the situation warrants it, we will be ready and will be able to provide enough medical gloves to the world," he said.

Meanwhile, commenting on the market outlook and trends for 2020 and beyond, Low said the industry is expecting a rise in cost relating to wages, utilities, packaging as well as in ensuring a conducive working environment for workers.