Severe shortage of face masks in Sri Lanka

By Indika Sri Aravinda  

Pharmacies located in hospitals are currently facing a crisis because of a shortage in disposable face masks, which are urgently required in Sri Lanka.

State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) Managing Director Lalith Jayakody said disposable face masks and raw material for the manufacturing of masks were imported from China but however, imports were stopped after the coronavirus outbreak in China.  

Even China is facing a shortage in disposable face masks because the main factories manufacturing the raw materials are located in the Hubei Province which is the epi-centre of the coronavirus outbreak.  Mr. Jayakody said the State Pharmaceutical Corporation was forced to sell face masks at a higher price or import from other countries while a key supplier of disposable face masks in Sri Lanka was reported to be selling them at a higher price to China.