Team Herald
PANJIM: With Coronavirus outbreak across several parts of India, N95 or a simple surgical face masks and sanitisers have almost disappeared from the shelves of stores and chemists across the city. The shortage has led to some stores selling the coveted items at double the price.
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Some customers also claimed the even the e-commerce websites are running out of these two products.
India has reported over 50 positive cases of Coronavirus; while in Goa, almost 12 suspected cases were under isolation. However, all the patients, who were quarantined, tested negative for the COVID-19; with the State recording not a single case so far.
“I visited 2-3 chemist stores asking for a hand sanitizer but failed to find one. The chemist said that they are out of stock and the orders have been places,” a Delhi couple, who is holidaying in Goa, said.
The couple said that they are in Goa since the last 15 days and have further extended their stay, owing to the positive cases detected in the national capital.
The demand from local residents has also gone up. “Last week I purchased these products but today when I visited almost five to six chemists, I could not find a single bottle,” Rajendra Khandekar, a resident, said.
He explained, that in some normal stores, while sanitisers are sold at the prescribed price, for masks, one has to shell out Rs Rs 150-Rs 200 more. “I bought the mask, last week, for Rs 50,” he said.
Refusing to come on record, some of the chemists, said that they are not getting any fresh supplies of sanitisers or masks, despite the orders being placed.
“The demand and prices for these two product s- masks and sanitizers, have shot up after the scare of Coronavirus in the country. Also some fake news being circulated on social media about cases being detected in Goa, has also triggered a fear, with several locals buying it,” a manager of a well-known pharmacy chain said.
Another pharmacist said “there is lot of demand for mask. Sanitisers were always on sale but the demand for masks was never there. We have failed to refill the stock due to non-supply from the supplier, who is also running out of stock”.
World Health Organization (WHO) has already warned about shortage of personal protective equipment caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse.
