THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the fight against COVID-19, face masks and hand sanitisers have become the strongest precautionary weapons. However, in Kerala, the shortage of masks and sanitisers is slowly emerging as a serious issue.

According to pharmacists, the government should immediately intervene to address the shortage. However, Drugs Control Department officials said people might be stocking up on masks and hand sanitisers out of hysteria, leading to the shortage. There are also complaints of hoarding and charging exorbitant prices for masks.

All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association president A N Mohan said there is a shortage of masks and this is mainly due to the non-availability of raw materials from China. “The manufacturing units have cut down production. Our member shops have been instructed not to engage in hoarding and jack up prices,” he said.

In the case of hand sanitisers, Mohan said there is no such shortage as the manufacturing units will replenish the stocks once the Holi celebrations conclude.Meanwhile, Health Minister K K Shilaja said the Drug Control Department has been instructed to initiate strict action against those hoarding masks and sanitisers and charging rates higher than MRP.

State Drugs Controller Ravi S Menon said the drug inspectors have been told to take stock of the situation in the state. “The shortage of face masks might be a result of large-scale buying. In the case of hand sanitisers, the retailers usually procure limited stocks as Keralites use it rarely. But now, the situation has changed,” he said.

He said the manufacturing units are facing a shortage of isopropyl alcohol, a major component used in hand sanitisers, due to a sharp fall in its import. “However, two manufacturing units in the state have been asked to increase production to meet the demand,” said Ravi.

Shortage to affect doctors, nurses: Health dept
Citing that there is a global shortage of face masks, an officer with the Health Department said the shortage will mainly affect doctors and nurses dealing with COVID-19 cases. The officer said public scare will subsequently lead to a shortage of masks at hospitals. Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited managing director Dileep Kumar SR said currently, there is no crisis and the stock of masks that we have will last for two more weeks. “Considering its demand, we are in the process of mobilising the stock. But there is a severe shortage of face masks in the open market,” he said.

Know your face gear

Face masks are of two categories - disposable and reusable
In the disposable category, there are two-layer, three-layer and N95 masks
Barring N95, the other disposable masks are normally sold at a price range between C1-C3
The normal rate of N95 masks ranges between C20-C50. However, now they are being sold at a price between C100-C300 and even C500 for a single piece
In the case of two-layer and three-layer ones, the price now ranges between C10-C30
According to medical shops, the demand for reusable masks, single/two/three-layer linen masks is less compared to disposable ones
Prices of single/two/three-layer linen masks are C70, C80 and C90 respectively