The Korea Times
Fears of shortages in syringes and IV packaging materials as a result of the U.S.-Iran war are spreading through Korea’s healthcare sector, prompting authorities to urge medical providers to refrain from stockpiling. Frontline clinics and pharmacies, however, say there is little left to hoard, warning that prolonged supply disruptions could hamper patient care, with local clinics typically holding about a week’s worth of supplies and pharmacies around two weeks’ worth. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said at a briefing Tuesday that measures had been put in place to ensure a stable supply of IV packaging materials over the next three months. “Panic buying is the biggest threat to the stability of medical supply distribution, and unfair business practices will be punished without exception,” Health and Welfare Minister Jung Eun-kyeong said, signaling a swift investigation if price fixing, collusion or production cuts are detected. Medical providers on the front lines are already struggling to secure essential medical supplies as the U.S.-Iran war drags on. Surging oil prices h
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