Black fungus cases witness spike, Congress blames Center for drug shortage

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government, Congress has blamed the Centre for the shortage of Amphotericin B injections needed to treat black fungus. It also suggested that the Centre take immediate actions to stop the black marketing and hoarding of essential drugs.

New Delhi: India is witnessing a surge in mucormycosis or black fungus cases and states are facing a shortage of Amphotericin B injections, which is an antifungal drug to treat this rare disease. Congress has blamed the Centre for drug shortage due to insufficient supply.

While the Congress party blames the Central government for not making arrangements on time, it also suggested that strict action needs to be taken against those who are black marketeering or hoarding these life-saving drugs including Remdesevir and Amphotericin B at this time of crisis.

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In a conversation with ETV Bharat, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "It is such a tragedy that every time there is a need for medicine, oxygen or vaccines, shortages happen and that too in a country which is called as the pharma laboratory of the world. Now reports are coming in that antifungal drugs for black fungus is running short of the supply, while there is black marketing or hoarding is happening. What exactly is the Central government doing?"

She further added, "You have to crack down on hoarders. People who are profiteering from the plight of our population must be punished and the Centre needs to show a resolve to crack down on these people."

Recently, trader's union, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) had sent a letter to Union Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan, anticipating black marketing and unethical sale of Liposomal salt injections, demanding that supply of such injections should be taken under control of the Central government who in turn ensure delivery of these injections directly to hospitals only through state governments.

Congress leader and former Union Minister Rajeev Shukla also spoke over the matter, suggesting, "Earlier there was a crisis of Remdesivir injection and now the same is happening with the antifungal injection for black fungus. The government should immediately start preparing for that. If it needs to get imported then start doing it. Immediately ensure the availability of this injection in our domestic drug companies."

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He asserted, "We have not got rid of one disease and another is awaiting. So, both Center and state governments should work together and start preparing to tackle this disease by consulting the hospitals and make available these drugs as per their needs."

On Thursday, the Central government asked all the states to declare mucormycosis or "black fungus" an epidemic. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written a letter to the states asking them to list the rare, but potentially fatal, infection under the "Epidemic Diseases Act".

As Delhi has reported more than 200 cases of Black Fungus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also announced to set up centres for its treatment in three state-run hospitals, including LNJP, GTB and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital.

Mentioning the shortage of the antifungal drug, Kejriwal told the media, "We have written to the Central government to make these antifungal injections available to us as it has undertaken the production of these drugs. So when Center is distributing these drugs, we are expecting that it will provide us with an adequate amount of injections as per our need."

Mucormycosis or Black fungus is a rare infection that is being reported mostly in the Covid recovered patients with symptoms such as swelling in the eye or cheeks, black dry crusts in the nose and face numbness.

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Dr Suresh Kumar, MD of LNJP hospital explained, "This infection is being caused due to the overuse of steroids for the Covid patients which eventually led to suppression of immunity. In the beginning, it affects the eyes and nose. Later on, it gets spread in the brain and lungs as well. It is a very complicated disease that gets treated by multiple specialists. On-time initiation of insulin and strict monitoring of blood sugar is very much necessary to restrict the spread of this infection."