Medical Product Inventories Stable... No Issues with Helium Supply for MRI Machines

Ministry of Health and Welfare Confirms Inventory Levels of Syringes and IV Solutions
Remain at 89-105% Compared to Previous Year

Amid ongoing uncertainties in the global supply chain due to the Middle East conflict, it has been found that domestic medical institutions are maintaining stable inventory levels of medical products, similar to the previous year. Concerns that had recently been raised about the supply of helium for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines have also been found to be unfounded.

On the 19th, Lee Hyunghoon, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, is speaking at the 8th Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Organizations Forum held at Conference House Dalgabbi in Jung-gu, Seoul. Ministry of Health and Welfare

On May 19, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held the '8th Meeting of Health and Medical Organizations' at Conference House Dalgabi in Jung-gu, Seoul, with 12 health and medical organizations, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, to discuss measures to stabilize the supply of medical products following the Middle East conflict.

At the meeting, the results of the 'Second Survey on Medical Product Inventory Status', conducted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from May 6 to 15 on 323 medical institutions nationwide, were released.

According to the survey, the inventory levels of sterilized packaging materials, intravenous solution bottles, and urine bags stood at 105% compared to the previous year; IV sets and catheters at 104%; medical waste containers at 103%; hemodialysis solution bottles at 95%; and syringes at 89%. These figures are similar to those of the first survey conducted in April, indicating, according to the government, that the supply of products to medical sites is proceeding smoothly without disruption.

Regarding recent concerns about the stability of helium supply for MRI machines, the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated, "We have confirmed that there are no problems at actual medical sites." Currently, 90.3% of MRI models installed at domestic medical institutions are the latest equipment that does not require regular helium refills, while only 9.7% are older models that do require regular refills, so the impact on supply is considered minimal.

According to the Korea Customs Service, although recent imports of Qatari helium have decreased, imports from the United States have increased, resulting in no significant change in the total volume of helium imports. The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that, in the event of any supply issues in the future, it will cooperate with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to ensure that medical helium is prioritized for supply.

Lee Hyun, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "Although uncertainties in the global supply chain persist, close cooperation with health and medical organizations and related ministries has helped stabilize the supply of medical products and the medical field." He emphasized, "We will continue to do our best to ensure that citizens can receive medical services with peace of mind."

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