Medical stores feel shortage sting

Thiruvananthapuram: After tonnes of relief materials were sent from the capital over the past week, medical stores are facing a shortage of sanitary napkins, diapers, baby food, antiseptic lotions. This has led to a crisis in many medical stores.
Medical stores owners said there was a huge demand for medical relief materials from voluntary organizations and individuals each daily and the cost ranged from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000.

“Usual sale of sanitary napkin is two dozen/day. This increased to almost 200/day. Also, baby food, ORS packets and diapers were sold out in large quantities as they were required for relief package. We did not refuse any request and now we have a small shortage,” said Moorthy A, salesman at Statue Medicals in Statue Junction.

Over the past two days, the demand for cleaning lotions, medicines for fungal infections, injuries, antiseptic lotion, masks and gloves has risen as people are moving back from relief camps to their homes in flood-affected areas.

“Two cases of gloves, each containing a hundred pieces, were sold in two days. Cold balm, disinfectant lotions and medicines, pain reliver and fever and mosquito repellents were in huge demand,” said N Gopakumar, owner of Medical Supplies at General Hospital Road.

Mahil M, who owns AMB Medical at General Hospital Road, said that even suppliers informed that they do not extra stock and new supplies are likely next week.

Another reason was the disruption in transport across the state, especially Ernakulam, from where many medical shops receive their medicines.

“We usually take stock for 60 days. But, large quantities of medical relief material were sold out in one week as there was an unexpected demand for medicines, sanitary napkins, baby food, etc for relief packages. We tried to purchase more stock from Ernakulam-based pharmaceutical companies to meet the demand. But, the depots of the companies were shut due to flood. Even courier services were not available. Medicine and other stocks will reach the city next week,” said managing partner of international agencies, a distributor in the sector.