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.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]