Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Though state government is admitting patients with black fungal infection, it is not in position to provide medicines as none of the units, which it has formed, has stock of medicines and Amphotercine injections. Hospital superintendent has power to purchase medicines. Treatment lasts for 6 weeks.
As per doctors, substitute medicines are not effective. So, there is urgent need of medicine and injections. Units have been formed in medical colleges but medicines have not been provided.
“It is true that we do not have medicines and injections of black fungal. We are only giving substitute medicines, which are not very effective in case of fungal infection,” Dr ID Chaurasia, neurologist at Hamidia Hospital, said.
Though purchasing process is on at government level, it is not sure that when medicines and injection will be supplied to government and private hospitals.
Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday said an injection to treat Mucormycosis, a rare and dangerous fungal infection which has been found in some COVID-19 patients as well as those who had recovered from the infection, was not available in shops in Madhya Pradesh.
In a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Rajya Sabha MP said people were in distress due to the unavailability of Amphotericin injections that are used to treat Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus.
Singh said the unavailability of Amphotericin gives rise to doubts whether it too is being black-marketed like Remdesivir, a key medicine in COVID-19 treatment. Singh, in his letter to the CM, said the black fungus infection was spreading fast, with more than 70 cases reported in capital Bhopal alone, of which 23 are in Hamidia Hospital here.
The former MP CM asked Chouhan to take strict action against those involved in medicine black-marketing and ensure people needing Amphotericin get it in time.
(With Agency inputs)
