Bihar govt supplies Ambisome to hosps for treating black fungus

PATNA: In a prompt action following reports of black fungus (mucormycosis) cases diagnosed in some post-Covid patients, the state government on Saturday ordered to supply Ambisome (Liposomal amphotericin B) injections to all the government medical colleges at the earliest.
These injections would also be made available to private hospitals free of cost but only after approval of their demand with relevant papers by a committee of the health department.
The officer on special duty in the health department, Kumar Ravi, said the state programme officer (SPO) of kala-azar was directed to supply the injections as per the allotment fixed by the government. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had provided 14,000 vials of Ambisome to the state as reserve under the kala-azar programme.
As per the medical advice, this medicine is highly effective for treatment of severe fungal infections. Ravi said the government’s direction was forwarded to all the DMs and medical colleges in the state.
The AIIMS-Patna has been allotted 2,000 vials while PMCH, NMCH, IGIMS and JLNMCH at Bhagalpur would get 300 vials each for treatment of black fungus patients.
SKMCH (Muzaffarpur), DMCH (Darbhanga), KTMCH (Madhepura), ANMMCH (Gaya), VIMS (Pawapuri) and GMCH (Bettiah) would get 200 vials each.
SPO Anjani Kumar, who is also the additional director of health, said AIIMS-P received its allotment on Sunday morning while IGIMS, PMCH and NMCH were likely to get it by the evening. He said the injections for supply to the private hospitals would be stored at the RMRI, Patna.
All the hospitals getting the Ambisome injections would have to send their utilization certificates to the government. Anjani said a committee headed by the director-in-chief of the disease control would decide the allocation and supply of this injection to the private hospitals.
Medical experts said black fungus may affect several parts of the body, including nostrils, oral cavity, teeth, eyes and even brain. If remained untreated, it could prove fatal.
Health minister Mangal Pandey said on Sunday that about two dozen cases of the rare fungal infection have been reported in the state and patients suffering from it were being treated at AIIMS-P, IGIMS and other private hospitals.
Pandey also said 37,430 doses of Remdesivir injection have been made available to various districts and hospitals and 50,321 doses are available at the state headquarters to provide to hospitals as per the requirements, he added.