Black fungus cases on a rise in the capital city

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister on Wednesday announced that with the rise in the number of black fungus cases in Delhi, there was a shortage of medicines for the treatment.

The increase in the number of mucormycosis cases in several parts of the country along with Delhi-NCR has also increased the demand of Amphortericin B injection, the basic medicine used in treating this fungus. Satyendar Jain, the health minister had earlier stated that the Centre was trying to control the drug used for treating black fungus and was distributing it according to the specified quota of the states.

On Wednesday, Kejriwal while launching the first drive-through vaccination center in the city at Vegas Mall, Dwarka stated, “Day before yesterday and yesterday, we received around 400 doses, whereas, in a day, one patient alone needs to be administered at least six injections of the medicine. So, if there are 600 patients, we need 3,500 injections daily, but are receiving only 400, which is leading to immense problems in its treatment.”

At a press conference, Jain opined that Sunday witnessed more than 200 cases but on Monday and Tuesday, there were less than 100 fresh cases. He said that among the 600 infected patients, almost one-third are from outside the capital. “Jain stated, “The quota of medicine allocated to Delhi is not enough, the number of patients is too high. There is a huge shortage of medicine and we appeal that Delhi is given more medicines”. The minister exclaimed that more 400 doses means that more 50-70 patients can get the injection. “The biggest problem is that the injection is not available at all.”

Jain said that these patients have fought against Covid-19, and there were many diabetes patients who were given steroids for treating Covid, bit it doesn’t mean that they were all affected with all these three diseases.

The health minister told that not all patients suffering from black fungus were prescribed steroid but suffered from Covid-19 and had high diabetes. He exclaimed that high diabetes and low immunity were responsible for this black fungus and so it is very essential for the Covid-19 patients to control the blood sugar. The minister stated, “Steroids do bring immunity down and most case are of those who have been given steroids, too.”

Black fungus is really a life threat after Covid management and so the Centre is bound to ask the states to declare it as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act.