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Ground reality different from govt’s claim
As the panic over COVID-19 spread increases after the city reported its third positive case, medical shops and other stores are struggling to meet the steep demand for masks and hand sanitisers.
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Chennai
Concerned residents in the city are unable to get masks and hand sanitisers as the medical shops are struggling hard to meet the steep demand. The situation worsened in the past week as almost all the medical shops are running out of hand sanitisers. “Before the outbreak of the virus, the demand for hand sanitisers was far less. Now, several people are in demand for it but do not have a single bottle to sell,” an employee of MedPlus medical shop said.
He added that the management of the shop procured a bundle of masks (3,000 pieces). But the entire stock was sold out in two days.
“A few days ago, a person, who owns a company, approached us for masks and offered to pay higher prices than the market rate. But we could not find the supply. Our distributors are also running out of stock,” he added.
While one of the Apollo medical shops that DT Next visited on Friday had only three pieces of masks, the shop did not have hand sanitisers.
“Our warehouse from where medicines are being supplied to all our shops also do not have masks and hand sanitisers. The demand for hand sanitisers is higher and we could not meet it,” Ramkumar, an employee, said.
While big chains of medical shops have completely sold out their stocks, small medical shops in the city have started placing orders for the items owing to the demand.
M Rajeswari, a medical shop owner in Kodambakkam said that she never sold masks before and many people are asking for it now. “So, I placed an order a few days ago and the distributor promised to supply them in a few days. However, the distributor refused to take the orders for hand sanitisers citing non-availability,” she added. Even though selling medicines to customers without prescription is illegal, several small medical shops were selling medicines for cold and fever. “Now, if someone comes seeking over-the counter-medicines, we ask them to go to a doctor,” Rajeswari said.
Meanwhile, residents urged the State government to take measures to ensure an adequate supply of masks andhand sanitisers.
No shortage of masks, sanitisers, Health Secretary tells HC
Adequate number of personal protective equipment (PPE) and N95 masks have been made available at all airports, medical shops and hospitals, State Health Secretary Beela Rajesh informed the Madras High Court on Friday.
She made the submission before the division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Krishnan Ramasamy in a PIL seeking to inspect medical shops to ensure availability of sanitisers and masks.
“In Tamil Nadu, 3,31,688 number of three-layer masks and 56,300 N-95 masks are available. Further, an order was placed for procurement of 15 lakh three-layer masks, 1.5 lakh N-95 masks, 40,000 PPE kits,” the official submitted.
Also, all medical college hospitals and district headquarter hospital have been made as designated hospitals for management of suspected patients, with total bed strength of 1129 including private hospitals with all facilities,” the official said.
All international passengers are being screened at airports using through thermal scanners. Of the 1,89,750 travellers who were screened, 2,984 are under home quarantine and closely monitored on daily basis by the local health authorities, she said.
“Rapid Response Team at the State and district level are alerted and instructed to take all preparations after receiving the advisory from National Centre for Disease Control, and dedicated ambulances are placed at Chennai, Tiruchy, Madurai and Coimbatore.”
So far, 222 samples were taken from the passengers, of which 166 returned negative, 2 positive and 54 under process.
The counter added that quarantine facilities for passengers from severely affected countries have been arranged in Poonamallee, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchy. The laboratory testing facilities have been established at King Institute in Guindy, Theni Government Medical College and Tirunelveli Government Medical College.
Recording Additional Advocate General PH Arvindh Pandian’s submission that instructions would be obtained in the matter of regulating the prices of masks and sanitisers, the bench adjourned the hearing to March 23. The bench also directed him to get instructions regarding the school examinations that are to be held in the coming days.
25 new manufacturers get licences in State
The State government has issued licences to 25 new hand sanitiser manufacturing units in the State to meet the increasing demand. “After the outbreak, we issued licences to 25 factories and more than 200 licences to hand sanitiser brands. We have been giving licences in war-footing and the applications are being processed in a day,” K Sivabalan, Director of Drugs Control, said. The number of hand sanitizer manufacturing units in the State has increased to 30 with the new licences. Sivabalan added that there is a shortage of raw material (Isopropyl Alcohol) due to higher demand across the world. Meanwhile, the department raided 15 establishments that sell raw materials in the city on Friday. “Only three of the establishments had raw materials. We have asked them to split and sell the raw materials to all the units instead of selling it to a single person,” he said.
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