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Swine flu is good news for pharmacies
Updated On: 12 August, 2009 07:17 AM IST | | B V Shiva Shankar
Traders are cashing in on the H1N1 scare by selling masks at inflated rates, but health officials say they can't be bothered to monitor what happens at the medical stores
Traders are cashing in on the H1N1 scare by selling masks at inflated rates, but health officials say they can't be bothered to monitor what happens at the medical stores
No government department has any clue about what it should do about the flu, but the private sector is cashing in on the scare by selling masks that can't stop a thing.
The N95, manufactured by 3M, is the only prescribed mask which can check the spread of the disease. It is a disposable multi-layer mask that ensures 95 per cent filtering.
Doctors say patients and people around them need to use at least a three-layered mask. But N95 is not easily available in Bangalore, although one pharmacy on St Mark's Road said it had just received 20 pieces.
Patients and hospital staff in most hospitals are banking on single-layer surgical masks, which is close to useless.u00a0
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NOT ENOUGH: Medical staff at M S Ramaiah Hospital wear simple surgical masks, which they know can't protect them from swine flu. pic\Ramesh HS How do you like the new new mid-day.com experience? Share your feedback and help us improve. Read Next Story Trending StoriesLatest Photos |
