BHOPAL: If medicines and Amphotericin-B injections are not made available for treatment of black fungus-infected patients very soon, doctors will face big problems. Shortage of medicines and the Amphotericin-B injection needed for treatment of black fungal infection continues in Madhya Pradesh.
The situation now is that doctors in the state have their hands tied as they are admitting back fungus-infected patients, but are not in a position to provide medicines as none of the units which it has formed has a stock of the required medicines and the Amphotericin-B injection.
A hospital superintendent has the power to purchase medicines. Treatment lasts 6 weeks and the total cost comes to Rs 2 lakh per case. Doctors are in a desperate situation as they only administer substitute medicines which are not as effective.
There is an urgent need of these medicines and injection. Medical units have been formed in the medical colleges, but neither the medicines, nor the injection have been provided to them. The purchasing process is on at the government level, but is not sure when the medicines and injection will be supplied to the government, as well as private, hospitals.
‘Don’t have any options’
"It’s true that we don’t have medicines and injections to treat black fungal infection. We’re only administering substitute medicines which aren’t much effective in the treatment of this disease. But we don’t have any option other than to prescribe substitutes," said Dr ID Chaurasia, neurologist, Hamidia Hospital.
‘We’re doing our best’
"Medicines and injections needed for treatment of black fungal infection will be available in Madhya Pradesh by tonight or by Monday morning. We’re doing our best to ensure the availability of the Amphotericin-B injection and the medicines," remarked J Vijay Kumar, MD, MP Public Health Service Corporation Limited.
