JOIN USEnsure uninterrupted supply of drugs to treat black fungus patients: Ex-Karnataka minister Ramanath Rai
Former Karnataka minister B Ramanath Rai urged the Centre and state government to supply the required quantity of medicines to treat black fungus.
There is a shortage in availability of Amphotericin-B drug to treat black fungus in Dakshina Kannada as well as in Karnataka, he told media persons at Congress Bhavan on Tuesday. “The Karnataka government had sought 20,000 vials of Amphotericin-B drug. But Centre had supplied only 3,960 vials. It is the responsibility of government to ensure that supply of drug is uninterrupted to treat the patients. The government should consider the issue of black fungus seriously,” he said.
There are allegations that the medicines are available in the black market. The government should check black marketing of such medicines. Instead of waiting for the Centre to supply Amphotericin-B drug, government should procure at least 25,000 vials to ensure that there was no shortage in Karnataka, he said. Government should include treatment for black fungus under Ayushman Bharath Arogya Karnataka scheme and other medical life insurance scheme for the benefit of patients.
The black fungus is caused due to lack of cleanliness in ventilator, failure to use distilled water for humidifier and also excessive use of steroids as per experts. The government should direct hospitals to maintain cleanliness. He condemned the BJP for engaging in the propaganda on fake toolkit and urged Dakshin Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to ensure that local youth get employment in industries in Mangaluru.
He urged the Centre to declare Covid-19 pandemic as a national disaster and make arrangements to supply grocery kits to all the households in dire need of it.