Last Updated on March 4, 2020, 2:58 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Trinidad and Tobago, is facing a shortage of N-95 masks.
The shortage of these masks has put the doctors at risk of being exposed to coronavirus if in case there is an outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Andrew Rahaman, who is the president of the Pharmacy Board of Trinidad and Tobago, told the Media that the country has a shortage of the N-95 masks.
3M, which is a significant supplier of the product, has maintained silence on the status of the product regarding how much stock do they have or till when might they get more. However, it is being believed that they are out of stock.
Most of the pharmacies an hardware stores around the country have indicated that they are out of stock of the N-95 masks.
Some of the pharmacies and hardware stores have said that they had been out of stock since the COVID-19 first claimed the attention worldwide in January.
They have said that the reason for the shortage, is the increased public demand as well as problems in their supply due to the current global supply issues being faced due to the increased demand of the masks due to the spread of virus into more countries worldwide.
The shortage of masks has now compromised the country’s ability to deal with and face an outbreak of COVID-19 if it reaches T&T.
This will be an issue because a shortage of masks will mean that the healthcare workers treating the patients would not be provided with adequate equipment to protect thems from the virus.
General practitioners are expected to take the hardest blow by this issue since they will be the ones dealing with the majority of public cases as first responders to viral infections.
Requests are being by various sources that the general public should stop buying the masks for the mere purpose of safety.
So that the doctors and healthcare workers can get them easily and that they are the ones who actually need them.
WHO, The World Health Organization has also explained in a question and answer video that masks should only be worn by those who are sick to prevent spreading the virus, not to prevent contracting it.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
