After the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Croatia, there is a shortage of protective masks in pharmacies around the country, and Index has learned that they are unable to produce due to the huge demand following a general panic that has started because of the coronavirus.

Some are already taking advantage of the situation and trying to make money. Suppliers dealing with medical supplies and pharmacy products offer masks at a price of 8 kuna. Before the panic the price of the mask was 17 lipas.

Pharmacies have received offers from some suppliers for masks at much higher prices than usual, Ana Soldo, president of the Croatian Chamber of Pharmacy, told HRT.

-The price of a single surgical mask, two or three layers, if it came to the market from these suppliers, would retail at around 8.10 kuna - Soldo said.

She also stated that the problem is that they are the only masks avaliable because masks at the regular price are no longer available in almost all the pharmacies in Croatia.

As far as hospitals are concerned, they are well supplied.

-They always have supplies for their needs for a month or two. There is not a large flow of patients there and nothing extraordinary has happened to make the shortage. Due to the media campaign and the atmosphere of fear and panic, people rushed to pharmacies and bought quantities that they did not even need - she clarified for HRT.