MELAKA: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in March last year, hand sanitiser and face masks became among the most-sought after items in the market - so much so that for a time, some had actually sold them at exorbitant prices.

During those early days, even if you visited a pharmacy, supermarket or convenience store to get these items, surely you would have felt upset as they were often out of stock.

However now, after more than a year of the pandemic continuing to plague us, various new normal approaches have been introduced as part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Some of them are now being looked down upon.

A check by Bernama at several leading pharmacies, convenience stores and even petrol stations here found that sales of hand sanitiser were not 'as fast' as at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak last year.

A pharmacy sales promoter, Aina Razak, 25, said that hand sanitisers and disinfectant sprays, that used to be popular, are now being ignored, even though the items are now sold at affordable prices and the products come in various brands and sizes.

"In the past, we didn't even have time to put it on the shelf. It was really quick to be sold out, so that we had to repeatedly make orders from suppliers within a week, and sometimes we ran out of supply.

"But now, the sales are a lot less. Perhaps more people buy face masks compared with hand sanitisers, as it is mandatory to wear face masks especially in public places," she said.

Apart from that, observations conducted at several public places such as petrol stations, restaurants and convenience stores also found that people did not use the liquid as diligently as before, both when entering or leaving premises of public focus, even though the liquid is provided free of charge.

To make matters worse, the provision of disinfectant fluids in some public premises also seems to be done half-heartedly or 'just sufficient'.

Among the reasons given by the owners of the premises was the cost constraint, and that use among visitors is not very encouraging as most are more concerned with wearing face masks and using thermal scanners.
Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association president, Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar, when contacted, also acknowledged that the hand disinfectant fluid is underused even though it is one of the effective ways to stop the chain of COVID-19 infection apart from wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing.

"More campaigns need to be held to raise levels of awareness on the importance and benefits of using hand sanitiser, because it is very effective and easy to carry around.

"That is why I strongly encourage each one of us to have some in the house, car, handbag and pocket," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Also sharing this view is Melaka Health and Anti-Drug Committee chairman, Datuk Rahmad Mariman, who also reprimanded the public's lackadaisical attitude in using hand sanitiser, even though it is included among the three most basic things listed under the standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb the spread of COVID-19.

"Actually, it doesn't have to be hand sanitiser, frequent hand washing is also recommended. However, hand sanitiser is already available and easy, just use it. Take advantage of the facility provided.

"I see people storing them in cars, in handbags, just to keep them handy but don't actually use them. Meaning, where is the level of public awareness? It seems that they don't really care about this basic SOP," he said.

For the owners of the premises, Rahmad advised them to use a certified disinfectant liquid and not to be stingy, just because they are worried about the cost.

"Don't just put low quality sanitiser because in the event of an infection on the premises, they have to close the shop and this will affect the business. So don't be stingy and worried about the cost that will be incurred (by purchasing certified hand sanitiser)," he said.

-- BERNAMA