Nearly 200 cases of 'black fungus' in Delhi

New Delhi: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday said that there were close to 200 cases of 'black fungus' reported so far in the Capital and advised people to report such cases immediately to doctors and not take medicines on their own.

The minister stated that the health department of the Delhi government was taking steps to check the rising cases of black fungus in the city and making medicines available. "Once black fungus is confirmed, don't take medicines on your own and contact your doctor," Jain said said while talking to mediapersons on Friday.

Due to surge in number of cases of 'black fungus', the Delhi government has decided to open dedicated centres at three hospitals - LNJP hospital, GTB hospital and Rajiv Gandhi hospital - for the treatment of the disease in Covid-19 recovered patients.

Jain said that high sugar levels and the use of steroids during Covid treatment are linked to black fungus. "Steroids should only be used as per the advice of doctor," he said.

With the rising number of cases of 'black fungus' in the capital complaints regarding shortage of Amphotericin B, a drug used to treat black fungus, have started coming in. Also, private hospitals are struggling to procure the suddenly in-demand drug.

The private healthcares in Delhi have voiced concern that the rare 'fungal' infection is only going to increase in the days to come. As per the reports, several private hospitals have pointed out that a committee setup under the Delhi Government to provide medicines is causing delay in providing Amphotericin B due to a lot of paperwork having to be done for the purpose. The Union Health Ministry on Friday said license has been given to five more manufactures for production of Amphotericin-B, used in the treatment of black fungus, and they will start producing 1,11,000 vials of the drug per month from July.

Efforts are being made to supplement the domestic availability of the anti-fungal drug through import, the ministry said, adding that 3,63,000 vials of Amphotericin-B will be imported in May, resulting in the total availability of 5,26,752 vials (inclusive of the domestic production) in the country.

It said 3,15,000 vials will be imported in June and along with the domestic supply, the countrywide availability of Amphotericin-B will be enhanced to 5,70,114 vials in June. Several states and union territories have reported an increasing number of patients suffering from COVID complications in the recent days in the form of Mucormycosis, popularly known as black fungus, the ministry said in a statement.