ANJONG KARANG, Feb 24 -The current depreciation of the Malaysian Ringgit only has minimal impact on the procurement and purchase of medicines from abroad, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said this because the ministry has implemented hedging methods to avoid conducting medicine acquisitions at high prices.
“In any procurement, we implemented the hedging strategy, meaning we made purchases in advance to avoid being affected by fluctuating currencies.
“So we buy and ‘lock in’ early. “Because of that, even though our currency has depreciated a little in the last couple of days, the actual (purchase of medicines from abroad) is paid at the price we have ‘locked in’,” he said.
Dzulkefly said this to reporters after the handing over of the Tanjong Karang Dental Clinic Construction Project to the Health Ministry on Saturday.
Dr Dzulkefly said the current low exchange rates also have a positive impact, especially on the medical tourism sector, as more patients from abroad will seek healthcare treatment in the country.
