STOCKPILING of masks, hand-wash and sanitisers during the coronavirus outbreak by depriving the common people is likely to worsen the situation. Despite panic-buying of these products in Dhaka by citizens, the recent shortage of the material may invite a more awkward situation in the country. News media reported that across the capital, several pharmacies and superstores have been facing a shortage of masks, antiseptic liquids and sanitisers at present. The demand for tissue papers has also almost doubled overnight. Many of the retail stores, super-shops and pharmacies have already run out of these products and many are facing shortages of handwash and antiseptic liquid. The people who used to buy one refill packet of handwash at a time, are now buying four to five, creating an artificial demand and thus contributing to some malfeasant shop-owners who create the illegal increases in price. Many blame a group of people who are buying more and more than actual necessity. Dishonest traders are taking advantage of the current situation to hike prices in a bid to make extra profits.
Against the backdrop, a group of black-marketers have become active in the city’s wholesale medicine markets in Islampur, Babubazar and Mitford area. Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) on Monday directed the manufacturers not to provide their distributors more than 500 pieces of the sanitisers at a time in one invoice, and decided to publish the fixed retail prices of the materials in national dailies. The government has started distributing personal protective equipment to hospitals but there are still many hospitals that have not yet received them. People have been advised to wash their hands frequently with soap and water as one of the basic preventive measures-but how readily available such facilities are in densely populated areas like slums, bazaars, schools or even in health care complexes is a matter for conjecture.
We hope that public and health care professionals stay on alert, especially with regard to the elderly people who have low immunity and those who already have pre-existing health conditions.
