MEERUT: According to the data released by the local authorities, Meerut has witnessed 166 mucormycosis (black fungus) cases so far but the district is hit hard when it comes to the availability of Amphotericin B, the main drug used in the treatment of this disease. According to doctors at least 60 injections are required per person for the treatment but medical authorities receive a few hundred every couple of days from the state government which serves no purpose.

Speaking to TOI, LLRM Medical College principal Dr Gyanender Kumar, who admitted there were more than 70 black fungus cases in the medical college itself did not have a single injection to administer, said, “We have sent a vehicle to Lucknow to procure some vials.” Relatives of patients are getting hopeless as they try alternate means to procure these injections but the rates are too huge to bear.

Naveen Pradhan, a relative of a black fungus patient in Meerut, told TOI, “We tried to admit our patient to a private hospital but they refused to move him to a special ward from the Emergency because the administration said it did not have Amphotericin B injections and asked us to procure it from anywhere. Due to the fear of the administration, they did not even give us a prescription for the medicine. When we asked the quantity of the injections needed, the staff said 60 injections. Now, this quantity is not being released for a single patient even by the district authorities. Where do we go now? Black marketeers crop up under these circumstances who charge exorbitant rates with no assurance of authenticity of the injections.”

Speaking with TOI, Dr Subhash Yadav, a senior surgeon at a private hospital, said, “The capacity of one vial of Amphotericin B is 50 mg whereas each individual suffering from the disease requires 5mg per kg of body weight which means one adult weighing 60kg will require six vials per day and he has to be administered the same for at least ten days. This means 60 vials for one person’s treatment and here we don`t get adequate vials even for two patients in a day. If a patient gets full jabs even for four days, it is of no use if the course is not completed.”

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

₹ 10 - ₹ 1000

NYOOOZ FRIEND

₹ 2000 - ₹ 5000

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.