TOKYO - Rising tensions in the Middle East are raising concerns over potential disruptions to medical supplies in Japan, particularly due to uncertainty surrounding naphtha used in products such as gloves and gowns, with hospitals warning that a halt in supply could significantly impact medical care while authorities move to reassure that stockpiles are sufficient for the time being.
At Chiba University Hospital, where large volumes of medical materials are stored, hospital director Seiji Otori pointed to everyday items such as gloves as examples of products heavily reliant on petroleum-based raw materials.
Otori: "These are standard gloves, but they are representative of petroleum-based, naphtha-derived products."
Naphtha is a key raw material used in plastics, and concerns have emerged that instability in the Middle East could affect its supply, prompting unease within the medical sector.
Otori: "Gloves are changed for each patient contact, so we use them in enormous quantities. If supply were to stop, it would not be an exaggeration to say that all medical care could come to a halt."
While there are currently no disruptions to supply, the hospital has received notifications from suppliers indicating the possibility of shipment restrictions for items such as gloves and gowns.
Otori: "We have not yet been told that we are short of supplies, but there is a possibility going forward, so it is important to establish a system for sharing information."
Amid these concerns, Health, Labour and Welfare Minister Kenichiro Ueno announced on April 7th that a consultation service for medical institutions will be established.
Ueno: "We have been informed that for naphtha, including medical use, at least four months’ worth of domestic demand for chemical products overall has been secured."
He added that increasing imports of naphtha from regions outside the Middle East could extend stockpiles to more than six months.
However, medical institutions are also increasingly concerned about rising costs, as procurement prices for medical products may increase.
In Japan, medical service fees are set by the government, meaning hospitals cannot freely raise consultation fees even if costs rise, leaving many institutions vulnerable to financial strain.
With inflation already placing pressure on hospital management, Chiba University Hospital has implemented measures such as reducing electricity usage.
Otori: "I do not think prices will suddenly rise, but if they do, there is a possibility that hospitals will fall back into structural deficits. I feel this is a crisis in healthcare."
Source: TBS
