Treatment for Covid Associated Mucormycosis costs a sedan car!

Hyderabad: The treatment cost for Covid Associated Mucormycosis (CAM) in private hospitals is unaffordable. Overcharging rue citizens of Hyderabad. With the increasing medicine (ant-ifungal drug Ampho B) charges ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000, the complete treatment billing amount is ranging up to Rs.12 lakh from a basic Rs 25,000 a day in private hospitals.

With private hospitals charging around ₹5 - 12 lakh as a package for CAM treatment, City patients struggle to find beds in government hospitals.

Briefing about the mucormycosis treatment cost in Apollo Hospital, a highly placed official of the hospital informed that patients need to deposit Rs.1 lakh all before admission of CAM patients.

"We request patients to deposit some amount, around a lakh, for treatment. From day one the charge for ICU bed, service and treatment will be calculated till the recovery. An ICU bed a day costs Rs 20,000. The CAM treatment will last 20 days, depending on patient's health status. Along with treatment and medication, it costs Rs.1 lakh a day to Rs.5 lakh for basic cure. It might go above the mark depending on the condition of the patient," the official added.

However, the hospital administration says that medication, such as Ampho B injections, which need to be given to a patient at regular intervals, is costing higher than the hospital charges.

Sharing the treatment costs in other private hospitals, Dr Vijayender of the Telangana Doctors' Federation, says cure for Black Fungus will last five to seven weeks, depending on the patient's condition. The cost ranges from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. A few hospitals are overcharging due to several reasons, such as lack of Ampho B drug, which they bought at high prices and passing it on to patients. High demand of doctors needed in shifts are also overcharging as they are forced to work long hours. Due to other reasons the treatment cost is reaching up to Rs 12 Lakh.

" The high demand for Black Fungus injections led to a shortage of Ampho B, which is a major drug to treat Black Fungus, there has been a sudden rise in demand and lack of supply. Moreover, as the fungal infection leading from stage one to severe, the patient needs to take life-saving operations at eye and neck hospitals, which is an additional burden. It is costing more for a patient. The bill is going up to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 5 lakh," said Dr Bharadwaj, ENT Hospital.