Rising Costs

A year ago, many people were desperately looking for the second jab of the AstraZeneca Covid shot. The PHIs were kings. Desperation turned into great corruption when worried people were willing to pay over a hundred thousand to have the second jab because many were catching the dreadful virus and some died. This year Covid is forgotten and people are facing the scourge of mass drug shortages. When private hospitals appeal for donations of medicines and medical equipment from the diaspora you know that we are in a very desperate and precarious situation. 

The usually crowded pharmacies are not that crowded any more as the available medicines are either not affordable to people or they are not available anymore.  The percentage price hikes announced in the media is not what is charged by the seller.  This is not limited to medicines but applicable to most things.  The ever-increasing price of rice, eggs, milk and other basic needs have made most give up eating them.  The price of everything has shot up and only the super-rich have money to buy what is available at a price.  The arbitrary announcement that cooking gas will be unavailable for domestic use until the monetary crisis is over was thoughtless and callous.  With all these compounded, many are skipping taking their medicines regularly, not having their regular meals and making every attempt to shield their children and elderly from suffering.

Tourists are being encouraged to visit this resplendent isle.  Most guests must put up with shortages of basics such as milk and butter and to top it all very mediocre meals are served due to the non-availability of goods and cooking gas. The smaller restaurants around the resort hotels are shut down.  Robberies are on the increase. 

The price of everything has shot up and only the super-rich have money to buy what is available at a price

The protests continue with many people hoping that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel, all the while being aware that we will have to go through a lot of hardship for many months to come.