Low-income expats flock to groceries to buy medicines
Son robs his father
KUWAIT CITY, Jan 14: While groceries are witnessing a demand from lowincome people to buy some of their needs such as some types of medicine such as pain relievers, and colds, health sources called for finding appropriate solutions to the reasons that prompted this segment to resort to groceries and not pharmacies, bearing in mind that these groceries are violating the laws because they are not authorized to sell medicines, reports Al-Rai daily.
The sources pointed out that the expatriates who buy medicines from groceries cannot buy a full box of medicines and they feel what they buy from groceries suffices the need to treat the symptoms of the disease with one or two pills instead of buying the whole packet that costs more than one dinar while a headache can be cured with just one tablet.
Sources say the most appropriate solution is to go for small packages or allow pharmacies to sell retail in line with the variables of the demographics and the inability of a large part of the low-income segment of the expatriates to purchase the full packet.
The sale of some types of medicines in groceries has become a reality, despite the conditions of storage and preservation which may not comply with health requirements, or violate the drug pricing or even the expiry date.
The sources pointed out that in spite of the decision issued by the Drug Inspection Administration to allow the sale of some types of medicines that do not need a prescription in cooperative societies and central markets, with a condition they are placed on the shelves out of the reach of children, the decision does not include groceries, which may make them immune to competent regulatory authorities.
Son is the thief:
Police have arrested the son of an unidentified Kuwaiti for ‘emptying’ the safe of its contents from the complainant’s house, reports Al-Rai daily.
According to security sources, the theft occurred when the complainant was on vacation outside the country with his family.
When he returned he discovered someone had broken the safe and stolen jewelry, expensive watches and thousands of dinars.
When police received the complaint, they resorted to see the footage of CCTV cameras which have been installed nearby and in the house of the complainant and came to the conclusion that none other than the complainant’s son, who lives in a rented apartment, had intruded into the house.
Police then raided the suspect’s apartment and seized the safe of the father in his possession, and they also found two bags of shabu drugs. He apparently fell short on money to buy drugs and the easy way out was to rob his father.