Govt to procure 15,000 vials from 3 firms to treat black fungus cases

VIJAYAWADA: The State government has placed an order for 15,000 vials of Amphotericin B injection used for treatment of black fungus. Briefing the media about the Covid-19 situation in the State on Wednesday, Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal  said the Centre had allocated just 1,650 vials of Amphotericin B to AP.

In the wake of emergence of several black fungus cases in the State, the government had placed the order for 15,000 Amphotericin B vials. “As per the information that we are getting from media reports and hospitals, the number of black fungus cases may be more. About 60 vials are needed to treat a black fungus case,” he said. 

“After analysing the situation in the Covid Command and Control Centre, we have placed orders for 15,000 vials with Mylan Laboratories, Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited and Sun Pharma so that there is a continuous supply of vials to treat black fungus cases once the vials allotted by the Centre arrive on May 22 or 23. Each pharma company was given an order for 5,000 vials,” he said.

The vials will be sent to the hospitals notified by the government in 13 districts of the State to treat the fungal infection. Each vial costs around Rs 5,000 - Rs 6,000 and the total cost of treatment may be nearly Rs 3 lakh. Black fungus has been included in the list of diseases covered under the YSR Aarogyasri as many people cannot afford the huge treatment cost, Singhal said.

The technical committee was asked to furnish data pertaining to expected number of cases in the next two months after consulting  hospital superintendents and medical experts. The Medical and Health Department is likely to get the exact data of the expected number of black fungus cases by tomorrow. Based on the data, we will invite a short tender for more vials, he said.

Singhal further said black fungus is not a new disease, but there is a spurt in cases now. “The disease is not new and there is a treatment for it. With the spike in black fungus cases due to Covid, the medicines currently available in the market are not sufficient. Hence, the Centre has started making allocation of vials to each State like in the case of Remdesivir,” he said.

Govt evolves 14-day treatment package

The State government issued a GO on Wednesday including black fungus in the list of diseases covered under the YSR Aarogyasri Scheme, besides evolving a treatment package. According to the Medical and Health Department, the 14-day treatment package under the Post Covid with Mucormycosis Management costs Rs 41,968