BENGALURU: With coronavirus and the fear associated with it spreading worldwide, Karnataka is facing short supply face masks and hand sanitisers amid complaints of hoarding. Even as medical experts suspect that face masks are sold online at inflated prices and a number of physical stores said they are running out of stocks, the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) said it will write to the union health ministry seeking to address the complaints of hoarding.
In Bengaluru, several people who were desperate to buy face masks are even paying 3-4 times the maximum retail prices could find the protective gear on Wednesday.“I am asked to come back after three days and the pharmacist asked me if I am ready to pay more money for the mask as it might be available in ‘black market’ and might cost more,” said Ananda Raman, an employee at a private company.
Some products like hand sanitisers, gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns and aprons are available at high prices in wholesale markets, according to sources.
“We will be writing to the union health ministry about the complaints we have received on hoarding of medical devices and basic protective equipment including masks and gloves and hand sanitisers by manufacturers and distributors. We will request the government to monitor the situation and take stringent action against wrong-doers,” AiMeD founder and coordinator Rajiv Nath said.
A manufacturer said on the condition of anonymity said the government has to take control of production of masks if the hoarding and shortage have to end. Meanwhile, sources said the government is wary of fake products entering the market.
On Tuesday, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said shortage of equipment is making it difficult for medical teams to deal with the crisis and added that the world cannot fight COVID-19 without protecting health workers.
“We are concerned that countries’ abilities to respond are being compromised by the severe and increasing disruption in the global supply of personal protective equipment, caused by rising demand, hoarding and misuse,” he had said.
When masks are not necessary
As healthcare providers may face a shortage of protective gears with the surging demand, the WHO said it is not necessary to wear masks if you are:
Not a medical worker
Not infected with COVID-19
Not in close contact with infected patients
Not caring for an infected person
Not in the outbreak zone
Not showing any flu-like symptoms
Not foolproof
Disposable masks like surgical face mask, are designed to keep large droplets from a person’s mouth from splashing. However, they aren’t made to block out tiny particles. These masks should not be worn for more than 3-8 hours. N 95 respirators are tightly fitted and filter out particles which are almost 0.3 microns in diameter. As the coronavirus measures almost 0.12 microns in diameter, it may be ineffective in preventing infection.
