The lockdown has opened, but mask prices are still skyrocketing

The federal government of Pakistan has announced the phased opening of lockdown across the country from Saturday, after which normalcy is expected to return. But the prices of masks, gloves and sanitizers used to prevent corona are still skyrocketing.

Yousuf Ansari, manager of a large pharmacy in Islamabad, told Urdu News that despite government announcements that the three products are being produced in large quantities in the country and Pakistan is in a position to export them, There is no prospect of an immediate reduction in prices

According to him, at present the N95 mask is not available in every medical store in the local market as its price is still very high and ordinary citizens cannot afford to buy it.

Even now, the N95 mask is available in the market for up to Rs 1,800, whereas before coming to Corona, the same mask was available for Rs 250. Before the advent of the Corona, a common surgical mask, we used to sell it in the market for five rupees, while at wholesale we used to get it for three to four rupees. Now we get it for Rs 18 and we sell it to the customer for Rs 20.

Similarly, a box of protective gloves used to cost Rs 700 in the market before Corona, which is now available for up to Rs 1,000, he said. A 100 mm pack of sanitizer is now available for Rs 250.
He said that after the advent of Corona virus, the normal surgical mask had gone up to Rs 30 but now its price has stabilized at Rs 20. The prices of these items are not likely to fall further immediately as the corona disease is still ongoing, he said.

On the other hand, officials of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), which controls the prices of medicines in the country, say that it is not in their power to fix the prices of masks, gloves and sanitizers.

An official of the authority, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that so far the steps taken by the government at the central level to reduce the prices of masks, gloves and sanitizers are announcements of action against hoarders.

According to another pharmacy purchase officer, the prices of these products have also come down slightly due to the announcement of action by the government against hoarders who have brought to the stock market those who have been infected with the corona virus in China. As soon as they arrived, they stocked masks, sanitizers and gloves.

 Talking to Urdu News, Director General of the Ministry of Commerce Waqas Azeem revealed that locally made N95 and surgical masks have not yet hit the market.

The government has announced the export of masks and sanitizers. We are in a position to export these products but nothing has been exported yet as all the products are still at the manufacturing stage and Their quality standards are being set.

According to Waqas Azeem, masks and other relief items from China are also not going to the local market as they are being provided to the provincial governments and their doctors through NDMA.

He said that the pricing of masks, gloves and sanitizers was determined by the market demand and supply situation as they were not regulated properly.

it has improved so much that things are starting to be found in the market. Earlier, when the epidemic hit, these masks etc. had completely disappeared from the market. Now that the products from the factories are coming to the market, then their prices are likely to come down.