Amid COVID surge, is China suffering from a medicine shortage?

As China reels under a surge of COVID-19 cases, authorities are seemingly facing a new problem – a shortage of medicine as a result of panic buying.Over the past few days, images h have emerged of long lines at drug stores and factories as people battling ‘flu-like symptoms’ rushed out to buy ibuprofen, aspirin and medical kits.Let’s take a closer look:On Monday, epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding cautioned that China has an ibuprofen shortage.He said people are going straight to the factories where the drug is manufactured and are waiting in long lines to purchase them.China is a major producer and exporter of the active pharmaceutical ingredient used in ibuprofen, according per the SCMP.China also accounts for one-third of its global production capacity.The SCMP on Monday quoted a retired factory worker Zong Xiaoyan and her husband Fan in eastern China as saying “everything was sold out.”

“No ibuprofen, no aspirin, no vitamin C, absolutely nothing,” said Fan, 72.

The Changzhou residents said they were still waiting for medication promised by city authorities.The China Daily last week reported about the ‘explosive demand’ for pain relief medication with other outlets putting up pictures of bare pharma shelves.The newspaper even noted how a spooked Guangzhou government in a statement urged “sensible purchasing” and added "there is no need for hoarding in large quantities."The Global Times similarly noted a 300 per cent increase in demand for COVID-19 detection kits.Things getting better, say authoritiesBut authorities say things are getting better.The Paper, a Shanghai-based digital daily owned by a state media group, reported that all pharmaceutical factories were “operating at full capacity” even though a lot of workers on the production line were down with COVID.“Our factory has deployed all possible manpower to start 24-hour production,” an employee was quoted as saying. “As the workers recover and return to work, things are expected to improve soon.”Yicai.com reported that Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical, the world’s largest active raw material supplier for ibuprofen, was working around the clock.The company last week said it was doing its best to increase production of urgently needed medication such as ibuprofen and vitamin C.The Global Times quoted the company’s executive secretary as saying production lines are operating around the clock and that "we have brought in additional staff."Pharma major Jiangsu Hengrui has also expanded production to meet the demand for drugs to manage fever and cough, as per Yicai.com.Global Times reported that domestic pharma company Taiji Group is also striving to improve supplies.The newspaper quoted an employee as saying the company has shown sufficient production capacity to meet the demand for cold medicine.A pharma employee in Beijing further told the newspaper ibuprofen is now available, but that one person can only purchase a box of 25 tablets.

An industry insider told the newspaper the shortage will likely ease by December end.

World could face similar shortagesFeigl-Ding also warned that the rest of the world would soon face similar shortages.That prediction seems to be coming true.CNN reported that pharmacies in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and even Australia are facing shortages of generic versions of Tylenol and Advil.

The outlet quoted Hong Kong’s health chief as asking public ‘not to overreact’.

Speaking to CNN, a salesman identifying himself only as Simon said one reason is that buyers are sending bulk orders to kin and friends on the Chinese mainland.“We send the drugs by mail to Macao, where our agents pick them up and then hand deliver them across the border to Zhuhai,” Simon said.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.