Ekonomia

The pandemic increases the price of the thermometer tenfold in the country

The pandemic increases the price of the thermometer tenfold in the country

In the pharmacies of Tirana there is currently a lack of thermometers, from the simple ones with a price of 100-150 lekë, while it is more difficult to find some other "luxuries" with ecological mercury that cost over 900-1100 lekë, or those electronics that cost a minimum of 1,500 ALL.

"Monitor" made a recent survey in many pharmacies in the capital and in none of them could be found an ordinary thermometer, from those with mercury, which before the pandemic cost in pharmacies only 100 lek.

The lack of thermometers and the price increase comes as additional difficulties at the height of the pandemic, when treatment and preparation start with them. Pharmacists in Tirana at most points of sale claimed that the stock of supplies has been completed for several days, due to high demand from the pandemic, while there are no signals for new supplies.

In some pharmacies there are only a few expensive types of thermometers at a cost almost 10 times higher than the usual one that was used massively until now.

Pharmacists link the lack of thermometers to two reasons. The first is due to the high demand created by the Covid-19 pandemic for pharmaceutical products that caused stocks to run out and the second for some new standards applied by the EU for the import of thermometers from China.

The EU has banned the import of ordinary mercury thermometers due to health hazards. Albania is applying this standard and this has made the import of thermometers from China not allowed.

This measure has brought a gap in the market, as wholesalers have been found to be prepared to meet the high demand that came from the pandemic. In this situation, the abuse of prices has started. An ecological mercury thermometer that meets the standard costs starting from 900 lekë in retail sales in pharmacies, while sources from pharmaceutical warehouses said that their wholesale price is around 300 lekë.

Por jo të gjitha farmacitë po ofrojnë termometra me zhive ekologjike. Në të shumtën e rasteve nuk kanë asnjë lloj termometri, për shkak se termometrat e rinj ekologjike nuk preferohen nga qytetarët për shkak të çmimit të lartë, ndërsa ata ishin mësuar që kosto e tij nuk i kalonte 150 lekë.

Në këto ditë të vështirë ku shumë të sëmurë e kanë të pamundur të bëjnë lëvizje të gjata gjetja e një termometri është sfidë përveç kostove të larta.

Intensifikimi i pandemisë me shtimin e numrit te të infektuarve ka rritur kërkesën për produkte farmaceutike. Në muajin tetor importet e produkteve farmaceutike u rriten me 40 për qind në raport me muajin tetor të një viti më parë.

Consumption of pandemic-related medications and other equipment has experienced unusual increases, such as vitamins, supplements, antibiotics, and other medical equipment for laboratories and radiology for examinations.

* Received from Monitor.al