Money or life?
Between money or life, there is no doubt that life is at the higher hierarchy. Several families spend their fortunes to save a member who is facing death.
With the current surge in COVID-19 cases, medications used to treat the disease are scarce, resulting in the meteoric rise of their prices.
Reports say that the price of Favipiravir 200 mg/tab (40 tabs) in Cebu was P10,500.00 in July this year, but with the rise in cases, the said medicine’s price increased to P12,000.00 in August. Another drug, Remdesivier, was sold only at P4,000.00 in July, but its price went up to P6,000.00 in August. On the other hand, Tocilizumab 400 mg/20 ml, sold at P75,000.00 in July, is now sold in the market at P130,000.00. In just one month, the prices of these medicines increased by 66%, even though the cost of production remains the same.
The Department of Health admitted that the Philippines has difficulty procuring these medicines due to a high demand in the world market.
Under normal circumstances, there is nothing wrong with the increase in the prices of goods and commodities caused by the rise in demand. After all, the company that produces the best product must be rewarded with higher profits.
But during this pandemic, where the availability of these medications can save lives, increasing their prices for the sake of more profits is morally wrong as it is equivalent to enriching oneself at the expense of another. This act is undoubtedly deplorable and must be punished by law.
During this pandemic, every act of enrichment means taking the life of someone and leaving his or her family without a father, mother, or child. So, if you are about to take advantage of the miseries of another, think twice. The next time you wake up, you can be the next person gasping for air.