Oman Wires It's all about Oman
According to some pharmaceutical retailers that Muscat Daily spoke to, there was scarcity of face masks because the outbreak of COVID-19, nonetheless now they’re out of stock after the announcement of 4 confirmed instances in Oman.
“We received more than 100 calls today [Tuesday] asking for face masks and my only answer has been ‘Out of Stock’. Indeed, there has been a huge demand since the outbreak and now there is nothing left. Parents have been calling us asking for face masks for their children but we just can’t help,” an official from Scientific Pharmacy in Muscat mentioned. Muscat Pharmacy too has run out of stock.
“Since the outbreak of the virus, many people have been buying face masks in bulk to transport them to China. We have placed orders for new consignment from suppliers but because the demand is stronger in other countries, we are not sure when we will get them,” an official from Muscat Pharmacy head workplace mentioned.
A name to different drug shops in Ruwi and Ghubrah too yielded the identical response. “All our outlets have run out of masks,” an Al Waleed Pharmacy official mentioned. An attendant at Ibn Sina Pharmacy mentioned that enquiries over face masks have been pouring in.
Meanwhile, all pharmacies and drug shops in Oman have obtained a round instructing them to not promote face masks in bulk. ‘It has come to our notice that some customers are buying bulk quantity of face masks from retail pharmacies as well as wholesalers. We have received complaints that some of them have run out of stock. Please do not sell the face masks in bulk to customers as it can lead to shortage of the item in the local market,’ a round from the Directorate General of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Drug Control, Ministry of Health, dated February 25, mentioned.
‘Retailers and wholesalers are hereby instructed to sell the face masks in limited quantity and not in bulk to ensure that the product is available in stock with all the retail pharmacies as well as wholesalers at all times. We request your strict adherence to the instruction.’
Information Source: Muscat Daily
