500,000 Additional Syringes Produced Weekly... Health Insurance Reimbursement for Imported Medical Materials Raised by 2%

Government Mobilizes Efforts to Stabilize Medical Product Supply Amid Middle East War

4th Health and Medical Organizations Meeting Held, Presided Over by Minister Jung Eun-kyung

To alleviate concerns about the supply of pharmaceuticals and medical devices resulting from the prolonged Middle East war, the government is encouraging additional production of essential medical products such as syringes and will raise health insurance reimbursement rates for medical materials to assist industries struggling with high exchange rates.

Jung Eun-kyung, Minister of Health and Welfare, is speaking at the '4th Health and Medical Organizations Meeting on Middle East War Response' held on the 21st at Conference House Dalgabi, Jung-gu, Seoul. Ministry of Health and Welfare

On April 21, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held the "4th Health and Medical Organizations Meeting for Middle East War Response" at Conference House Dalgabi in Jung-gu, Seoul, together with health and medical organizations and relevant ministries, to address the instability in the supply of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other medical products caused by the Middle East war.

The meeting, presided over by Minister of Health and Welfare Jung Eun-kyung, was attended by representatives from 12 health and medical organizations, as well as officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Participants discussed the results of medical product monitoring, key measures taken, and future action plans.

Currently, the production volumes of key medical products such as syringes, needles, medicine pouches, and syrup bottles are either unchanged or have not significantly decreased compared to last year. In particular, production of syringes—which had raised concerns about supply instability—has actually increased year-on-year. Korea Vaccine Co., the manufacturer, has decided to produce an additional 500,000 units weekly for seven weeks through special extended work hours.

The secured quantities will be supplied first to dialysis clinics, pediatric clinics, and maternity hospitals through the Korean Medical Association’s online marketplace, "Syringe Hotline." In addition, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is considering supplying a portion of the additionally produced syringes through online malls.

For medicine pouches and syrup bottles, the production volume in the first quarter of this year was sufficient compared to the monthly average of the previous year, and the government plans to continue prioritizing the supply of raw materials.

To identify shortages in the field and respond proactively, the government conducted an "Emergency Field Survey on Medical Product Supply Instability" last week through public health centers. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency are also considering temporarily extending the disposal cycle for general medical waste, provided that infection control is strictly maintained.

Measures to ease corporate cost burdens will also be implemented. As the recent rise in exchange rates has increased the prices of imported medical materials and raw materials, thereby raising companies’ costs, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will raise the average health insurance reimbursement rate for approximately 27,000 separately listed medical materials by 2% to help reduce manufacturing companies’ financial burdens.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety launched a special inspection team for syringes and needles this week. A joint inspection team of 35 groups, with more than 70 members, will conduct comprehensive inspections and enforcement, and any violations identified will be dealt with strictly.

Minister of Health and Welfare Jung Eun-kyung stated, "The situation is being managed stably, with production volumes of items such as syringes—which were of particular concern—remaining at last year’s levels. We will do our utmost to ensure that essential medical services are provided smoothly to the public through close monitoring and coordinated response."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.