Sonia Gandhi Urges PM To Act Against Shortage Of Black Fungus Drugs

 Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, to action about the shortage of black fungus drugs.

In her letter to PM Modi, she sought for immediate relief, for all those suffering from the black fungus infection. She requested him to have the disease covered under the Ayushman Bharat, and numerous other government health insurance schemes. “...the illness is not covered under Ayushman Bharat and most other health insurance products. I would request you to kindly take immediate action on the matter," she wrote.

Sonia Gandhi furthur stated that since the government has asked states to declare Mucormycosis as an epidemic, something must be done to counter the shortage of black fungus drugs. She said that there should be adequate production and supply of all the essential medicines, used to treat the disease. She then added that free treatment should be given to patients who are suffering from it.

Sonia Gandhi's statements comes after the black fungal infection, was made a 'notifiable disease', under the Epidemic Diseases act 1897 by many states. This includes Haryana, Telangana, Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujrat, etc. There have also been numerous complaints regarding the shortage of black fungus drugs.

Madhya Pradesh districts on shortage of black fungus drugs

Recently, the chief medical officers of Madhya Pradesh's Damoh and Balaghat districts, said that there is a shortage of the anti-fungal medications such as Amphotericin-B injections. Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan admitted that the country was facing a shortage of these medications, and that they are now being imported.

The black fungal infection, or Mucormycosis is has now become a worrisome burden, that has cropped in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic. The infection has already claimed many lives in the country.