‘There are People Trying to Snatch Pharmacist’s Mask’

* Photo: AA - Archive

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Chair of Pharmacists' Union Erdoğan Çolak has said that there arises tension between citizens and pharmacists due to Covid-19 outbreak.

Reminding that a ban has been imposed on the sale of masks to citizens, but some people have not yet received an SMS from the Ministry of Health to go and get their free masks from pharmacies, Çolak has underlined that because these people do not have masks, they are not allowed to use public transportation or go to markets for shopping.

"There are those who try to snatch the pharmacist's mask, saying I will go to market or somewhere, but don't have a mask," Çolak has noted.

Referring to the statement of Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, who said that 39 million people would be sent an SMS for distribution of masks on Thursday (today), Çolak has said, "However, as there is now an obligation to wear masks in entering markets and using public transportation, the tension continues between the citizens who do not have masks and the pharmacists who say that 'sale of masks without an SMS is forbidden'."

Speaking to Atilla Güner from RS FM yesterday (April 15), Pharmacists' Union Chair Erdoğan Koca briefly said:

'A fixed price must be set'

"Both pharmacists and the citizens who enter the pharmacies must be protected. An SMS needs to be sent to citizens, but they go to the pharmacies and try to get masks without receiving an SMS. Citizen needs masks and they cannot wait for this process.

"There are those who try to snatch the pharmacist's mask, saying I will go to market or somewhere, but don't have a mask. They do not think that the pharmacists might have coronavirus.

"These problem are likely to continue for a few weeks. Masks are available at our pharmacies in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Kocaeli and Sakarya. When they receive an SMS, they can get them quite easily.

"SMSs have been sent in 30 metropolitan cities and Zonguldak as of today, masks will have reached pharmacies by tomorrow.

"A fixed price must be set. Apart from the masks distributed by the state, the price of masks sold by the pharmacies should have been set. If the citizen needs it and has not yet received an SMS, the state had better do something to ensure that they receive the masks.

"There are dialysis patients and these people are constantly in need of masks, but they cannot buy them. If we show solidarity together, it we can organize it properly, we can overcome this." (EKN/SD)