Black fungus scare: Maharashtra urges Centre to approve allocation of Amphotericin B injection

Maharashtra Health minister Rajesh Tope informed that the state has already put out an order to procure over 2 lakh Amphotericin B injections but the manufacturing company is awaiting the Central government’s approval.

File Photo

New Delhi:  Amid scare of ‘mucormycosis’ or black fungus, the Maharashtra government has requested the Centre to approve the allocation of Amphotericin B injection which is used to treat the infection. 

Maharashtra Health minister Rajesh Tope, after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (May 20), informed that the state has already put out an order to procure over 2 lakh injections but the manufacturing company is awaiting the Central government’s approval. 

"We requested the Central Government to approve the allocation of Amphotericin B injection which is used to cure Mucromysis. We have already made the purchase order for 2 lakh injections but the company which provides it is waiting for approval from the Centre to allocate the same," Tope was quoted as saying by ANI. 

He added, "Mucromysis is on the rise in Maharashtra. The Centre must clear the path for allocating the injections."

On Tuesday, Tope had informed that there are about 1,500 black fungus infection cases in Maharashtra. 

Amid increasing cases of black fungus infection across the nation, many states including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, and Assam have declared it a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897.

Meanwhile, 29,911 new COVID-19 cases, 47,371 recoveries and 738 deaths were reported in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, as per the state health department data. The infection tally reached 54,97,448, including 50,26,308 total recoveries and 85,355 deaths. There are currently 3,83,253 active cases in the state.

(With ANI inputs)