Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday informed the Centre that mucormycosis or black fungus, which has claimed 90 lives in the state so far, is a matter of prime concern for the state at present, and the state government needs more supply of the medicine used in its treatment.
Tope made the statement after a meeting where Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually interacted with district magistrates and field officials on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seventeen district collectors from Maharashtra attended the meeting.
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan also attended the meeting.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Tope said the Maharashtra government has framed a set of guidelines for the doctors in the state involved in the treatment of mucormycosis patients, and it would also hold training sessions in all districts for them.
Submitting his demands for Maharashtra during the meeting, the minister said that since the requirement for oxygen and Remdesivir or other such medicines has now stabilised due to the decline in COVID-19 cases, mucormycosis is a matter of prime concern for the state right now.
"I have informed the Centre that mucormycosis is the prime concern before the state government. I insisted that we need more allocation and supply of Amphotericin-B (a key medicine required to treat mucormycosis patients) as the number of cases in the state is higher."
"As the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state has declined, the requirement for oxygen and Remdesivir-like medicines has now stabilised," he said, adding that these were not matters of concern anymore.
On Wednesday, Tope had said that Maharashtra faces a shortage of Amphotericin-B medicine and the state has received only 16,000 vials of it from the Centre as against the requirement of 1.50 lakh to two lakh vials.
Of the 1,500 mucormycosis patients found in the state so far, around 850 are undergoing treatment in hospitals, while 90 COVID-19 survivors have died of black fungus till now, he had said.
"The Maharashtra government has now prepared a set of 13-page detailed guidelines for doctors in the state about mucormycosis, its treatment and precautions to be taken while treating such patients," Tope said after Thursday's meeting.
The state government is going to conduct a training programme in all the districts for the doctors who would be treating such patients, he added.
According to him, the state is also deploying PSA plants in all the 36 districts to increase the availability of oxygen for COVID-19 patients.
On the vaccination drive, Tope said the Centre should come up with an integrated policy on vaccines, their procurement and distribution.
"The Centre should inform us which vaccine is suitable here, and grant approvals required for buying vaccine doses from international market," he added.
The state government's priority in COVID-19 vaccination programme is completing the process of giving second doses, he said.
"Once we are through with it, other age groups will be considered for vaccination," he said.
The health minister admitted that some students, who wish to travel abroad for further studies, have been affected as the state has currently stopped the process to vaccinate people from the age group of 18 to 44 years.
"Once the vaccine supply increases, we will be able to vaccinate 8-10 lakh people on a daily basis. But for the time being, people will have to wait for the supply of vials," he said.
When asked about the instructions given by the central authorities, Tope said, "The union health secretary has stressed on testing across the state. With the increase in the number of tests, the positivity rate can be brought down."
