By Zaffar Iqbal

Srinagar, Apr 6 (IANS): Although people in Kashmir are strictly abiding by the social distancing norms in order to keep coronavirus infection at bay and help prevent its spread, but those locked up in their homes cannot miss to go out to buy life saving drugs.

At many pharmacies, people were seen maintaining social distancing, however, as the lockdown completes two weeks many medical stores across the valley are staring at big problems as stock of medical supplies run dry, hitting mostly the patient.

"We are contacting the distributors for masks, but every distributor is telling us that masks are not available while as we are facing a great demand for masks, sanitisers are also in short supply", said a chemist at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

The pharmacists said that the lockdown has sent supply chain disruptions across the valley. Most small pharmacies dependent on suppliers in bigger towns to replenish their stocks cannot do that just now.

"We will sell all the medicines that is available with us and as long as we get our supplies, administration should also try and help us, we get 95 per cent our supplies come from distributors in Sopore which we can't get right now," said a chemist in Bandipore in North Kashmir.

But the administration is making efforts to ensure there is no dearth of medicines.

DC Srinagar Shahid Choudhary said essential and life saving drugs are received as per demand and regular supply will follow.

"J&K Government is augmenting supplies of protective equipment, life saving drugs and essential supplies. Tremendous efforts by resident commission, Health, IAF," Shahid Choudhary tweeted.