Hand-disinfectants and masks have vanished from the shelves of most of the supermarkets and pharmacies with the COVID-19 scare spreading across the State. Capitalising on the panic, some firms have steeply hiked the price of products by over 100%.
Single-ply masks, the commonly used ones with one layer of protective fabric, are now being sold for ₹10 a piece against the earlier price of ₹5. The three-layered ones are sold for ₹15 a piece, said P.K. Indukala, who runs a medical store at Vennala, Kochi.
The price of N 95 masks has also been hiked significantly. The use-and-throw mask is being sold at ₹150 a piece and the suppliers are unable to meet the demand. Since the outbreak of the disease, its demand and price has peaked, said Ms. Indukala.
A lakh one-ply masks
The stitching unit set up by her family, which caters to the clothing needs of hospitals, was recently flooded with enquiries for making masks. One dealer sought to get one lakh one-ply masks ready whereas another one wanted elastic strings stitched to another 50,000 masks. There has been a three-fold increase in the price of single-ply masks, said P. K. Rameshan, who runs a medical ship at Vyttila Junction. The N 95 masks and hand-rubs are in short supply, he said.
A supermarket in Vyttila recently witnessed bulk purchase of masks and sanitisers. Two women, who said they were about to go abroad, purchased a bag full of masks. There had been an increase in the purchase of hand rubs too, said K.A. Anjas, store manager. The outbreak of the disease in China has hit the import of masks from there. Currently, only small bottles of hand sanitisers are available, he said. There is acute shortage of hand sanitisers, especially those produced by major players. Some traders are reportedly fleecing the customers by steeply hiking the price of products on which the Maximum Retail Price have not been marked, said a pharma marketing executive.
T.K. Anish, another pharmacist, regularly wears the N95 mask to protect himself while at the medical shop, as he has to interact with sick customers. “You cannot wear a new and expensive mask every day,” said Mr. Anish when asked how frequently he replaces the mask.
Earlier, workers such as painters and carpenters used to buy single-ply masks. Of late, more people are wearing them. There has been a steep hike in the demand and the price of such products, he said.
Reason for scarcity
Ravi S. Menon, Drugs Controller, Kerala, said the department would look into the scarcity and price hike of hand disinfectants used for medical purposes. The scarcity might be due to the shortage of chemicals and not hoarding. The trade of masks is not regulated by the Drugs Control Department, he said.
