Yogi flags black marketing of black fungus drugs

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 17, 2021

In the backdrop of rising black fungus cases among Covid-19 patients, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath today warned against the black marketing of drugs used in its treatment.

Noting that black fungus was a rare disease, Yogi said the government would ensure easy availability of medicines and claimed the Centre was supporting the state in this regard.

“We should make arrangements for easy availability of medicines in the private sector as well. Under no circumstances, there should be any black marketing of drugs,” he directed the state’s high level Covid-19 response group ‘Team 9’.

He said black fungus cases had been reported in a few districts in some patients who have recovered from Covid-19. The state department of health and medical education has been tasked with ensuring such patients received timely treatment.

According to the wholesale and retail medicine traders in UP, the black fungus drugs are in a short supply owing to the sudden surge in demand. Since, it is a rare medical condition, the traders generally kept lower stocks of these medicines. However, the situation is expected to improve by next week when fresh supply comes.

Meanwhile, the Yogi government has formed a 12-member Covid-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) team to deal with the black fungus phenomenon.

The team will be responsible for constituting Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), drafting treatment protocol, ensuring availability of drugs, database of cases, creation of teams in state medical colleges and hospitals, sensitisation of healthcare workers for early diagnosis and management of cases according to the ICMR guidelines.

The high-risk groups for black fungus are Covid-19 patients, patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM), Type 2 DM patients on steroids therapy, patients receiving immuno-suppressive therapy and patients in ICU for a long time on oxygen therapy.

Yogi is on a touring spree since May 7 for getting a firsthand account of the Covid-19 situation and relief measures in UP. So far, he has visited the hinterland of Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Agra, Mathura and Aligarh districts.