Pharmacies throughout Fiji already facing shortages in hand sanitizers and face masks

Pharmacies throughout the country are already facing shortages in hand sanitizers and face masks as COVID-19 continues to affect countries around the world.

Many of the pharmacies contacted by Fijivillage today say they have run out of face masks particularly the N95 surgical masks as people take measures to protect themselves.

The Managing Director of Medicine Chemist and Chemistwala Pharmacy, Alvick Maharaj says they are facing issues with Australia and New Zealand who have restricted the export of face masks and hand sanitizers.

Maharaj says only a handful of hand sanitizers are available in their pharmacies.

Life Pharmacy confirms that face masks and hand sanitizers are out of stock in their branches due to high demand from people taking precautions as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in other countries.

Director Sandeep Kumar says there has been high demand, particularly from those travelling overseas.

He says they have suppliers in India and China.

He further says that their suppliers in India have informed them that they cannot supply any at the moment.

The World Health Organisation has also called the industry and governments to increase manufacturing personal protective equipment by 40 percent to meet the rising global demand.

It has warned that severe and mounting disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment – caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding, and misuse – is putting lives at risk from the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

It says healthcare workers rely on personal protective equipment to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others but shortages are leaving doctors, nurses and other frontline workers dangerously ill-equipped to care for COVID-19 patients, due to limited access to supplies such as gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns, and aprons.

The World Health Organisation says supplies can take months to deliver and market manipulation is widespread, with stocks frequently sold to the highest bidder.

WHO has so far shipped nearly half a million sets of personal protective equipment to 47 countries but supplies are rapidly depleting. This includes Fiji.