'Mucormycosis to be treated as per govt guidelines'

Leading physician Dr Pravin Garg said the treatment of Mucormycosis will be done as per the guidelines by Union Health Ministry. Gujarat has recorded a surge in mucormycosis over the last fifteen days.

Ahmedabad: While the deadly second wave of Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc in the country, the spread of Mucormycosis has aggravated the crisis. The disease has been declared an epidemic and it has caused nationwide panic. Even though the disease prevailed earlier, it has turned more dangerous as it has been reported among Covid patients.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on May 20 declared mucormycosis as an epidemic after core committee meeting. Talking to ETV Bharat, leading physician Dr Pravin Garg said treatment will have to be done following the guidelines of the Union Health Ministry and details of the cases need to be sent to the government. Strict action needs to be taken against those indulging in black-marketing of drugs and medicines for the treatment, he said.

Dr Garg also suggested that government can compel doctors to treat patients suffering from the disease as well as order pharmacy companies to ramp up the production of medicines.

It is likely that people might charge exorbitant prices for test, medicines and treatment of the disease. In the wake of this, the government should fix the prices of tests, medicines, and equipment, he said

The number of mucormycosis cases has witnessed an uptick in the last fifteen days. Symptoms of the disease include cough-cold, running nose, swelling in eyes, headache and swelling on the cheek. Timely medical intervention can prevent the fungus from spreading to nose, jaws and brain which could turn fatal, added Garg.

It should also be noted that Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Haryana have also declared Mucormycosis as an epidemic. The Central government had directed States to declare Mucormycosis as an epidemic under the Epidemic Act of 1897.