Masks not essential in prevention, don’t hoard, says Delhi govt as demand soars
NEWDELHI: With demand for hand sanitisers, common medicines and masks skyrocketing in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Delhi government urged people not to hoard these items. Masks in particular is not essential in prevention as it is not an airborne disease, it said.
Pharmacists said that they are now rationing the sale of these items since people are placing bulk orders — 100 to 200 units of each item.
At Religare Wellness in Vasant Kunj, the pharmacist said they are not giving more than two units to a customer in order to meet the requirement of others.
“Every day we get customers demanding masks and hand sanitisers in large number. We have got clear instructions from the government and Drugs Control department to keep adequate stock and distribute them among the customers,” said Saddam, a pharmacist at the store.
Surendra Dev Tiwari of Fortis Healthworld in Khan Market said people are placing order of hand sanitisers and masks in bulk. “We are already running out of the stock and whatever we get we judicially distribute among our customers. Our company has prohibited selling more than two units of hand saniters and masks to a customer,” he said.
Among the “common medicines” that is in demand include paracetamol and vitamin C tablets. The Delhi Drugs Control department had on March 4 issued an advisory to pharmacists to keep adequate stock of masks and hand sanitisers and distribute them judiciously to customers. The department has also warned them against overcharging or hoarding.
The central government on Friday had put masks and hand sanitisers under Essential Commodities Act (ECA) up to June 30, 2020 to ensure availability of these items at fair price in view of the outbreak.
Doctors also advised against hoarding sanitisers and masks.
Dr BK Tripathi, professor of medicine at Safdarjung hospital, said that the World Health Organization has already announced that a mask is only needed for healthcare workers who are in direct contact with the patients. “Sanitisers are useful when people are on the move. However, if there is running water and soap, washing the hand properly, cleaning all the fingers, joints and wrist is the best. Even washing hands with just running water is sufficient,” he said.
With the two commodities being unavailable in the retail market due to high demand and low suppply, RWAS on Saturday demanded that sanitisers and masks be made available in mohalla clinics.
“There is an acute shortage of the quality N95 masks as well as the sanitizers in Delhi. The government should provide these essential commodities to the residents of Delhi its mohalla clinics. Even if they sell it at the MRP it is ok. But it should be made available in their clinics,” said BS Vohra, president of east Delhi RWAS Joint Front.
When asked about the shortage, health minister Satyendar Jain said, “Companies were manufacturing masks and sanitisers with their usual annual production targets. Now, that this virus has erupted, the demand suddenly shot up,” he said.
ISSUE IN ASSEMBLY
Assembly on Friday. During the session, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Covid-19 outbreak was at the “containment stage” and urged people not to hoard sanitisers and masks to fight the virus, which he claimed was not an airborne disease.
“If you wear a mask, you may touch it and there’s is a fear of getting infected. Only infected people should wear a mask. On a hard surface, the virus stays for about 48 hours, whereas, on a soft tissue surface, it lasts for about seven-eight days,” Kejriwal told the House.