Earlier this week, a pharmaceutical shop assistant shared how a diabetic man was unable to buy alcohol swabs needed for his daily injections because they were all sold out.
In her Instagram story that was shared on Facebook page Just Keep Thinking, the woman said that the shop had sold all of their existing stocks.
A man came into the pharmacy and tried to buy alcohol swabs, but they were all bought up already. Despite the diabetic patient trying to explain his condition, all the staff member could say was “so sorry, but really no more stocks already”.
That presumably has to do with the bulk-buying spree that many Singaporeans have gone on recently, in light of the Wuhan coronavirus. According to the shop assistant, who posted on her Instagram page on Wednesday (Feb 5), many people bought these alcohol swabs -small pieces of cotton soaked in alcohol – and were using them to wipe and disinfect public tables. In order to clean a table, one alcohol swab would hardly suffice because of their small sizes.
The shop assistant also shared an exchange between her and the diabetic man, where the man asked her in shock: “ What are people buying alcohol swabs for? So small, want to use to clean table?? For the hand also not enough. Depriving stocks (sic) for those who really need it”.
Another netizen also shared that a similar incident happened to them. Having no stock of alcohol swabs, the pharmacist they met told them to disinfect their injection site with soap.
Insulin injections help to keep diabetics patients’ blood glucose levels stable. Failing to do so can cause their blood glucose levels to fluctuate.
To disinfect their skin before the injection, patients commonly use alcohol swabs. /TISG