8:50 PM MYT
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (left) officiating the groundbreaking ceremony of Iconic Medicare PPE Facility on Saturday. With him is Iconic Worldwide Bhd managing director Datuk Tan Kean Tet. aims to become a leading glove maker in the world following its investment of RM155 million for a new personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturing plant here in Penang.
Its managing director Datuk Tan Kean Tet said the group s wholly-owned subsidiary, Iconic Medicare Sdn Bhd, intends to manufacture and trade latex and nitrile gloves for household, industrial and medical use, as well as two main types of disposable face masks.
Correspondent
Frontline medical workers in Japan are worried they re running out of an essential piece of protective equipment. They re facing a critical shortfall of medical rubber gloves at the same time as coronavirus infections rise to record levels.
A medical clinic in the city of Funabashi gets through close to 500 pairs of gloves a week. That s been the case since the pandemic began earlier this year.
The clinic s deputy director, Doi Yoshiyasu, says it s getting difficult to source the item, and the price has doubled. He urges authorities to prioritize resource allocation to the people who need it most.
A recent survey of medical staff involved in the fight against COVID-19 found the shortage is becoming a serious issue nationwide. Almost 60 percent of those who responded said that they were running out.