Denis Low
KUCHING: The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) wishes to allay the fear that there may be a shortage of medical gloves in the face of the onslaught of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China.
According to Margma president Denis Low, its association members are prepared to gear up to produce more gloves to meet the requirements if the virus outbreak becomes pandemic.
“While we may be having a shortage of workers and the fact that we cannot have more overtime, the industry will then have to tweak the production lines to run at optimum levels, to churn out the medical gloves to supply to the world.
“Already, there are serious ongoing procurement of gloves, from the affected areas and if it becomes pandemic, the demand can be astronomical.
“Taking a lesson from the H1N1 virus and the notion that the coronavirus can be much more worse than H1N1, the rubber glove industry will certainly ramp up production to meet the demand; purely from a humanitarian stance,” Low said in a statement.
“During the period of H1N1, medical glove consumption grew by 17 per cent. Our members are noble and will surely provide the necessary humanitarian services to the healthcare sectors.
“We hope and pray, that the virus can be contained and will not spread as quickly as the H1N1. However, if the situation warrants it, we will be ready and will be able to provide enough medical gloves to the world.
Commenting on the market situation and trends for 2020 and beyond in the continents, Low said that the industry is expecting an inevitable rising in cost relating to wages, utilities, packaging and the extra cost incurred in ensuring a conducive working environment for all our workers.