The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to give details of number of patients of black fungus, primarily those affected by the disease after recovering from COVID-19 and method of distribution of the medicines to them.
The high court was informed that the hospital has been provided with 360 vials of Amphotericin B, the injection administered to patients for treating Mucormycosis (black fungus), by the Delhi government last night.
The hospital, however, claimed it has distributed all the vials to the patients and now left with no medicine, which is already in shortage in the country.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh asked the hospital to explain on Thursday how it is using and distributing the medicine among the patients and file a report by May 26.
The bench took up the matter after a woman advocate mentioned about the condition of her 80-year-old grandfather, who is admitted at the Ganga Ram Hospital and fighting black fungus.
The woman, who had yesterday said they had not received a single vial of the medicine for last five days due to which he has undergone two surgeries and possibly the third one might take place on Tuesday, informed the court that with the efforts of counsel for Centre and Delhi government, the patient got six vials and they were administered the medicine but they still need more.
On court's direction, one of the doctors of the hospital joined the proceeding and informed that they don''t have only one patient but many and they have to administer the medicine as per the patient's condition and requirement and that they have distributed all the 360 vials.
The doctor said currently he was not having the data of patients being treated at the hospital, however, he will give the details on Thursday.
The court said if any more vial is available with the hospital, it be given to the woman lawyer's grandfather, whose eye has swollen since morning and is in great pain.
After hearing the submissions of Delhi government's counsel that there could be few unallocated vials left with the state, the court said in case there is any unallocated stock of the injection lying with the drug controller, it be used for the treatment of this man.
Delhi government's counsel told the court that on Monday they had 670 vials of the medicine and after distributing to hospitals, four were remaining. Out of today's stock of 400, the state has distributed 396 and four are left.
As of Monday, there were 475 cases of black fungus in Delhi, the court was informed yesterday.
According to the Union Health Ministry, mucormycosis or black fungus is a complication caused by a fungal infection. People catch mucormycosis by coming in contact with the fungal spores in the environment. It can also develop on the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, scrape, burn, or other type of skin trauma.
The disease is being detected among patients who are recovering or have recovered from COVID-19. Moreover, anyone who is diabetic and whose immune system is not functioning well needs to be on the guard against this, the ministry has said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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