The ministry said in a letter that in recent times a new challenge has emerged in the form of ‘mucor mycosis’ of black fungus infection in Covid patients from many states. This disease is especially seen in such Covid patients who were given steroids during treatment and whose sugar level remained uncontrolled.
According to the ministry, the number of deaths in Covid-19 patients has increased due to this infection.
In relation to this, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Health Luv Agarwal has said in a letter to states and union territories that “the result of fungal infection is coming in the form of long-term morbidity and increase in the number of deaths in Covid patients”.
He said that for the treatment of this infection, different approaches need to be considered which include the vision of eye surgeon, experts of ear-nose and throat department, general surgeon and others.
Aggarwal has written in his letter that “I urge you to make Mucor Mycosis a notified disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 in which all government and private health establishments, medical colleges for Mucor Mycosis Monitoring, Diagnosis, Management of Health and Family. Will follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Welfare and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The Union Health Ministry has also said in the letter that “it should be made necessary for all establishments to report all suspicious and confirmed cases to the Health Department and then to the IDSP through the District level Chief Medical Officer”.
The governments of Rajasthan, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have already declared black fungus as a notified disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act.
According to the Rajasthan government, at present there are about 100 such patients in whom black fungus has been confirmed and a separate arrangement for treatment of black fungus has been made at the Government SMS Hospital in Jaipur.
The infection was first confirmed in Gujarat and Maharashtra, but later several other states also started receiving reports that this infection is being seen in the patients of Covid-19.
Black fungus marketing
There have also been reports of a shortage of an anti-fungal drug used to treat mucarmycosis or black fungus in many states of India.
This drug, named Amphotericin B, is manufactured by many companies in India, but now this drug is being found in the black market.
According to the doctors, the treatment of mucarmycosis requires an anti-fungal injection, which costs Rs 3500 for a single dose. These injections have to be given daily for eight weeks. This injection is the only medicine for this disease.
Mucaramicosis cases are increasing among Corona infections and emergency appeals are being made for this drug in social media.
