![Workers seen during the production of protective face masks against the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation's Mamak facility in Ankara, Turkey on April 2, 2020 [Raşit Aydoğan / Anadolu Agency]](https://i1.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/20200404_2_41725369_53661995.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=85&strip=all&ssl=1)
May 2, 2020 at 11:57 am
The Chairman of the Turkish Pharmacists’ Association Erdoğan Çolak announced that 55 million masks were distributed to pharmacies as part of the Turkish government’s plan to dispense them to citizens free of charge, to help combat the spread of the coronavirus in Turkey.
Until 11 March, the date of the first registered case of the coronavirus, Turkey was producing around 500,000 masks per day. The production numbers gradually increased until they reached 12 million masks per day.
Çolak added that pharmacies in the country have distributed a further 40 million masks to citizens in the country for free.
Çolak added in a statement to Anadolu Agency that the whole world is passing through a very critical stage, as China was late in announcing the emergence of the virus, which led to the World Health Organisation’s late classification of the virus as a global pandemic.
He stressed on Turkey’s efficient management of the coronavirus crisis and the significant role of pharmacies in this matter, in terms of providing medicines and masks.
