THE spike in Covid-19 cases has led to a stampede of people rushing to buy test kits and many pharmacies in the kingdom appear to have run out of the cheapest option.
So many rapid antigen test kits have been snapped up in recent days that many have been forced to pay for more expensive RT-PCR tests.
The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) has stepped forward and promises that it is processing the ‘required shipments’ which will be made available ‘in batches throughout February’.
NHRA chief executive Dr Maryam Al Jalahma said in a statement that the authority had verified the available quantities of kits in the market and had communicated with agents and suppliers to provide the necessary quantities, as well as chase dates of delivery of shipments to Bahrain.
“Work is being done to provide the necessary shipments to Bahrain in batches during the month of February,” she said. “We are processing requests for rapid test devices from various licensed pharmacies, while local agents authorised to import the device can communicate directly with suppliers to provide the required quantities to the local market.
“We are also following up with agents and suppliers to ensure that the Covid-19 rapid test device is available in sufficient quantities.”
Pharmacies across the kingdom confirmed to the GDN yesterday that they had run out of stock of the kits that has started “flying off the shelves” last month. Many claim that sales more than doubled in the first 10 days of last month when compared to December.
The rush followed the increasing number of Covid-19 infections, with daily cases exceeding 8,000 on Tuesday.
“There isn’t a single kit left, and we’re waiting for more stock,” said Kriya Pharmacy owner and pharmacist Balasubrahmanian Ramadoss. “Demand has been increasing, and we’ve been running low on kits for about a week.”
A Gulf Pharmacy representative admitted that the kits have been unavailable for the past two days. “Yes, there was a surge in demand with the number of cases of Covid-19 on the rise, and we hope to get more stock soon,” he said.
Gulf Pharmacy revealed it had sold nearly 6,000 rapid test kits in just 10 days across its 12 branches.
“With the infection spreading so quickly and cases on the rise, people are definitely panicking,” added another pharmacist in Manama.
“With the Health Ministry recently promoting the rapid test, perhaps people were rushing to buy and were using them too frequently. There was suddenly a shortage from suppliers and agents but we don’t know exactly why.”
Meanwhile, people wanting to get tested have been left with few alternatives.
“I’m symptomatic, and I couldn’t find a rapid test kit in three pharmacies nearby,” said one Pakistani expatriate who asked not to be named.
“I tried calling 444, which gave me no option to speak with anyone and only gave me auto-generated responses.
“One option said I could book an appointment through the BeAware app, but when I tried it, it said I was ineligible for the test.
“Finally, I had to pay BD8 for a reverse transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test at a private clinic, and the results took longer than expected.”
Following the emergence of the highly-contagious Omicron variant of Covid-19, the Health Ministry last month revised its rapid testing protocols to include swabs from both the throat and the nose.
The scramble to get lateral flow tests is not unique to Bahrain as countries around the globe cope with soaring numbers of Covid-19 cases caused by Omicron. Pharmacists in the UK, for example, are constantly warning of patchy supplies of rapid Covid tests and the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies said staff and customers were stressed over the lack of supply.
Bahrain first introduced rapid antigen Covid-19 tests in November 2020, performed as a nasal swab and giving results within 15 minutes with an accuracy rate of more than 93pc.
The rapid test kit, which was initially priced at BD4, have been available in local pharmacies for BD2.500 and includes a swab, test device, and reagent.
An RT-PCR, the kingdom’s approved diagnostic tool, costs BD8 onwards at private health care facilities.
“Even a rapid test kit price is unaffordable to many as people are out of work or receiving delayed salaries. I think there should be cheaper options for testing,” said another Asian-origin resident who requested anonymity.
“The government has been supporting the people in every way possible – we acknowledge and appreciate that – but the current situation appears to be rendering people helpless,” he added.
Bahrain as of yesterday recorded 390,602 cased, including 52,018 active cases, 337,175 recoveries and 1,409 fatalities.
raji@gdn.com.bh
raji@gdn.com.bh
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