Face masks have become the hardest items to source. Despite reports of massive production the masks have become almost impossible to find. Ahlam Nazih, writing for L'Economiste, reports on the situation.
Of the 6 million masks reserved for pharmacies on Monday, only 1.2 million appear to have arrived on the market. The Council of the College of Pharmacists mentions logistical difficulties, but claims that in less than a week there will be enough for everyone!
Morocco makes millions of masks every day. The current potential is 6 million per day. Word from the Ministry of Industry even announces that we will increase production to 10 million daily by next week. But where are they?
By next week, the Ministry of Industry plans to increase production to 10 million masks per day. But they still have to reach the users. They should be available in pharmacies and grocery stores in particular
Masks are almost impossible to find, either in pharmacies or in grocery stores, the two sales channels selected. On Monday April 20, some 11 million units were distributed, according to the ministry, including 6 million for community pharmacies. However, pharmacists have only really received 1.2 million. How to explain such a big difference ?! Only one mask out of five has reached buyers ... Where have the other 4.8 million gone?
Recently, the Order of Pharmacists proposed to bring pharmaceutical wholesalers into the distribution circuit. The decision was taken Monday April 13 to integrate them, to supply the 12,000 pharmacies in Morocco. How it works? “The Ministry of Industry has chosen to sell all of its production to a private group. The latter performs dispatching on eight platforms that it has in several regions.
"Wholesalers can therefore get their supplies from the platforms closest to them, and then deliver to pharmacies, ” explains Hamza Guédira, president of the Council of the Order of Pharmacists. Wholesalers began sourcing from platforms last Friday. The same day in the afternoon, they started distributing.
“It took us about three days to put things in place. We are going up in pace,” says Guédira. But then, where have the few million missing masks gone? Guédira mentions logistical difficulties, for an operation "quite heavy" to manage.
This Tuesday, April 21, 2 million units were to be distributed in pharmacies. The Council of the Order ensures that in less than a week the market will be sufficiently supplied. Guédira even speaks of "flooding the market", with at least 3 million units daily, only in pharmacies. Will it be the right time? We will know soon enough…
“Any attempt at speculation will be severely punished. In any case, it is a regulated price, like medicines. The box of 10 masks is sold at 8 DH. The initial idea was to allow everyone to protect themselves in order to fight the pandemic. We are not in a business perspective ”, underlines the president of the Council of the Order of pharmacists, who defends himself from any commercial objective.
According to Guédira, pharmacists earn 0.15 cents per unit, from which 20% VAT must be deducted. The rest would not even cover the charges. “The pharmacies have suffered a 70% drop in their activity due to confinement, while they bear substantial fixed costs, in addition to the costs of ensuring their safety and that of their assistants. We believe, however, that it is our duty to mobilise for our country, ”says Guédira.
The pharmacies will not only sell the masks, but they will also advise users on the correct way to wear them, and also to get rid of them, to minimise the risk of contamination.
After the disposable masks, the Moroccan Institute for Standardisation has just announced the list of textile companies authorised to manufacture masks in washable fabric. These are nine companies, three of which are based in Casablanca and Tangier, one in Marrakech and two in El Jadida. These masks are subjected to a whole battery of tests, especially with regard to the safety of the fabric from which they are made.
The informal market has already taken an interest in the production of these masks with products of questionable quality. Several police raids have dismantled clandestine workshops harnessed to their manufacture.
Hassan Ataiche, president of the Syndicate Chamber of pharmacies of pharmacies of Fez (CSPOF) affirms for which "the subsidised masks did indeed arrive at the distributors of pharmaceutical products in the city of Fes, last Friday , and the next day in pharmacies, but in small quantities ”.
In fact, "pharmacists have since received only 3 or 4 packs of 10 units per day ... which is ridiculous compared to the high daily demand on these masks". Denouncing "mismanagement across the board, from the obligation that came into force two weeks ago, to communication, including production and distribution", the president of CSPOF calls for "reviewing the whole process". "We must opt for a rational distribution of the quantities produced across all pharmacies," he suggests. This is to stem the phenomenon of scarcity and avoid speculative ambitions.
In the meantime, the Textiles are about to start the production of reusable and sterilisable masks. This, after several days of waiting (a week for two for the lucky ones). "Three of my samples have been validated by the Textile and Clothing Technical Centre (CTTH)", says an operator from the city of Fez. To have the famous sesame of the technical centre you must pay a technical test billed at DH 4,000 for each sample.
In addition, you have to pay for the waterproofing, chemical, and certification tests of the national standards institute (Imanor) for a total amount of 6,000 DH. "This brings the price of the global certification to 10,000 DH for each sample," said this textilian from the city of Fez.
To this investment is added the upgrading of production workshops (hygiene, barrier measures, etc.). Can we find the standard fabric to produce the masks and convince workers to return to their jobs in the factories for a handful of DH more than the partial unemployment paid by the CNSS?
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