Moldovan Health Ministry explains lack of medical masks in drug stores

Chisinau, 25 February /MOLDPRES/ - The Health, Labour and Social Protection Ministry gives assurances that there are enough medical masks in warehouses and the supply to drug stores is making daily. 

After an inspection made to the Chisinau-based Toma Ciorba hospital of infectious diseases today, Health, Labour and Social Protection Minister Viorica Dumbraveanu said that there was no crisis of medical masks in Moldova, just as some media institutions had put it.    

„The Medicines and Medical Devices Agency informed that there were masks in warehouses, the delivery to drug stores is made daily; the problem is that, given the panic existing in the society, people buy these masks in large quantities, which triggers their lack in pharmacies by the evening,” Dumbraveanu noted.    

The minister commented on information concerning the fact that the prices for some pharmaceutical products had increased because of the coronavirus. “While there is a regulated trade markup of 15 per cent on medicines, there is no regulated trade markup on masks and other medical devices. Verifications have been made and yes, some agents already import these masks at higher price, as the price has increased on the international market,” the health minister specified.      

Attending this inspection at the Toma Ciorba hospital of infectious diseases, President Igor Dodon criticized the traders in the pharmaceutical sector, who try to take advantage of this situation and asked not to financially take advantage of this medical alert.