It’s a living hell, says HC on black fungus drug shortage
New Delhi, May 28: “We are living this hell. Everyone is living this hell. It’s a situation where we want to help but we are helpless,” the Delhi high court lamented on Friday while hearing pleas on the shortage of black fungus medicine and the problems faced by the patients.
While the Centre placed a report giving the steps taken by it to source the medicine and overcome shortages, the high court directed it to give further details on the current status of its imports.
The court, which was hearing two pleas seeking medicine vials for two patients admitted here for black fungus infection, expressed helplessness over the situation and said it cannot pass any order that a particular patient should be given preference for treatment while denying it to others.
The issue of shortage of the medicine for treating black fungus was raised by advocate Rakesh Malhotra, who said the black fungus cases affecting Covid-affected people are rising.
The court, which was
informed that steps are being taken by the Centre to procure 2.30 lakh vials of Liposomal Amphotericin-B from six countries, asked the government to explain the reason behind choosing this figure as “the requirement of the medicine is much more.”
Additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma said that as per the information updated on the portal, the number of patients under treatment for mucormycosis (black fungus) in India was
14,872 on May 28 (9.00 am) and this includes 423 patients in Delhi.
“Out of the sources that have been presently identified abroad, the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW), on May 24, has called upon the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to take steps to procure 2,30,000 vials of Liposomal Amphotericin-B from Australia, Russia, Germany, Argentina, Belgium, and China,” Sharma said.