BLACK FUNGUS NEW CHALLENGE, SAYS PM IN TALK WITH DOCTORS
VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday warned against the “new challenge of black fungus” and said the country must be prepared to fight the rare and potentially fatal condition that is increasingly being seen in recovering Covid-19 patients.
The PM was visibly emotional as he spoke about those who had lost their lives to Covid-19 and called for vaccinations to become a mass movement in the long battle against the viral disease.
VARANASI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday warned against the “new challenge of black fungus” and said the country must be prepared to fight the rare and potentially fatal condition that is increasingly being seen in recovering Covid-19 patients. The PM was visibly emotional as he spoke about those who had lost their lives to Covid-19 and called for vaccinations to become a mass movement in the long battle against the viral disease.
“In our ongoing fight against Covid-19, a new challenge of black fungus has surfaced. We must focus on taking precaution and preparation to deal with it,” said the PM during a virtual meeting with health workers from his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi.
The mucormycosis infection, or black fungus, which some doctors have blamed on the high use of steroids to combat Covid-19, kills more than 50% of patients within days. In some cases, eyes and upper jaws are removed by surgeons to save lives. The Centre on Thursday told the Delhi high court that as on May 19, there were 7.251 cases of mucormycosis in India. Of these, UP has recorded 289.
Paying his respects to those who lost their lives during the pandemic, Modi said: “Those who lost their loved ones because of Corona, I pay my tribute and express condolences.”
The PM also called for special attention to rural areas and highlighted the need to take treatment to the doorsteps of patients to reduce the burden on the health system. “Our mantra will be, jahaan bimar, vahi upchaar (wherever there is illness, there should be treatment). The more we take wellness to the people, the less will be the pressure on our health systems.”
He lauded the efforts of doctors, nurses, technicians, ward boys and ambulance drivers. “But this pandemic is so big that despite all the efforts we have not been able to save the lives of our family members.”
Modi said Varanasi benefited from the strategy of having micro containment zones, while highlighting “Kashi Kavach” – a telemedicine initiative involving doctors, laboratories and private companies.
The Prime Minister termed the vaccine a ‘safety armour’ against Covid-19, while urging people to get vaccinated. “Vaccination has provided protection to our frontline workers, who could serve the people. In the coming days, we will be extending vaccine protection to everyone,” he said.
Modi also talked about the threat to children and said they needed to be protected in the fight against Covid. “There is a need to protect our children against Covid-19. We have had successes in the past in battling diseases which affect children, and we have successfully dealt with those illnesses and ensured the safety of our children. We must implement best practices and do all we can to ensure children are safe,” he said, specifically pointing to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s role in succesfully dealing with Japanese encephalitis, which claimed the lives of thousands of children in UP.
Samajwadi Party president and ex-up CM Akhilesh Yadav attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party governments at the Centre and the state, saying: “People of state and country are facing hardships due to the exchange of praises between heads of the country and the state. Had the time spent on fake praises been spent on arranging vaccines, beds and oxygen, lives of many people could have been saved. Condemnable!,” he tweeted.