A sharp increase in demand of surgical masks has skyrocketed also their prices by 300% in the last few weeks. More and more Greeks purchase masks to protect themselves from the flu that is in its peak but also many Chinese buy masks in bulk and send them to China due to the coronavirus.
According to union of public hospital workers POEDIN, the price for the simple surgical mask has risen from €0.0116 +VAT to €0.032+VAT, while the price for the high=protection mask went up from €0.64+VAT to 2 euro each+VAT.
“Companies justify the profiteering with lack of masks for companies to justify profiteering at the expense of hospitals and citizens, taking advantage of people’s concern over the outbreak of flu and possible outbreak of coronavirus,” POEDIN denounced.
“The price for the purchase of simple surgical and high protection masks due to increased hospital needs has increased 300% in recent days,” union said.
The union calls on the government to intervene, drawing attention to the risk that hospitals run out of masks or that citizens cannot be protected if not from the coronavirus certainly from the seasonal flu.
It’s not only the Greeks who need protection from viruses but also the Chinese in …China. Tourists and workers “raid” pharmacies in Athens and buy large quantities of surgical face protection which they send to family and friends back home.
“There is shortage of masks in pharmacies if one wants to buy 50 boxes,” the Presidents of the Pharmacists Association in Athens, Konstantinos Lourandos, told Thema FM on Sunday.
“The problem is not the shortage in pharmacies but the small quantities the companies send us when we order,” he added.
He described an incident in his own pharmacy in a suburb in Athens. “A van with 15 Chinese came, the moment they entered the pharmacy, our customers left,” he said. He added that they bought all masks available and hands disinfection. “I guess that they will not use them but send them back home.”
Lourandos stressed that the surgical masks do not protect those who wear it but those the infected person comes in contact with.
Whatever the right or wrong reason, more and more Greeks are seen wearing masks in hospitals, on the streets or even in supermarkets.
