MUMBAI: As many as 90 people have died of the fungal infection `mucormycosis' in Maharashtra so far and there is a shortage of a key medicine needed to treat it, state public health minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.
More than 200 patients of mucormycosis (also called Black Fungus) were detected in the last one week and he had urged the Union government to increase the supply of Amphotericin-B injection which is used in its treatment, he said.
"So far, 90 people have died due to mucormycosis in Maharashtra. It is serious. It should not be taken lightly," he told reporters here, without specifying the period during which these deaths were reported.
The rare but fatal fungal infection is seen mostly in COVID-19 patients or survivors.
"Indiscriminate use of steroids to treat COVID-19 patients should be avoided," the minister added.
"Maharashtra in the last week added some 200 to 500 patients of mucormycosis. Of 1,500 patients detected so far, some 500 have recovered while another 800 to 850 are still under treatment," the minister said.
The state needs 1.50 lakh to two lakh vials of Amphotericin-B right now, but has received only 16,000 from the Centre, he claimed.
The available vials have been disbursed to all the districts as per the number of mucormycosis patients in each district, he said.
The Centre entirely controls the allocation of the medicine, he said.
"Maharashtra has placed an order for 1.90 lakh vials of the medicine, but delivery is the problem because its supply is controlled by the union government. Our demand is do anything, but give more vials to Maharashtra because cases of Black Fungus infection are on rise," Tope said.
Two companies are going to supply the medicine to Maharashtra after May 31, therefore the next 10 days are critical, he said.
He had spoken to Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Statefor Chemicals and Fertilisers and asked him to increase the supply of raw material for the medicine, Tope said.
"There are some pharma units in Wardha and Palghar districts where the medicine can be made. From one kilogram of raw material, 20,000 injections of Amphotericin-B can be produced," he said.
"The state has made two kg of raw material available but it takes 20-25 days to manufacture the injection," Tope added.
The state government has decided to bear the cost of the treatment as well as medicines for mucormycosis patients irrespective of their income levels, he said.
"Depending on the severity of the infection, the requirement of the injections varies from 60 to 100," the minister said, adding that the state has decided that nobody should be deprived of treatment for want of money.
"All these patients will be treated under the state government's Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, for which an official order has already been issued," he said.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to speak (through video link) with the collectors of some 15-17 districts in the state where cases of mucormycosis have been found in large number," Tope added.
The state reported 34,031 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, which took the infection tally to 54,67,537, while the death of 594 patients pushed the toll to 84,371, the state health department said.
On Tuesday, the state had recorded 28,438 cases and 679 deaths.
As compared to the previous day, the single-day death toll of the state dropped by 85, but the case count rose by 5,593 on Wednesday.
A total of 51,457 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, which took the recovery count to 49,78,937.
With this, the number of active cases in the state is now 4,01,695, the department said.
The COVID-19 recovery rate of the state improved to 91.06 per cent from 90.69 per cent a day ago, while the death rate remained at 1.54 per cent, the statement said, adding that the positivity rate is at 17.15 per cent.
While 30,59,095 people are currently in home quarantine, 23,828 others are in institutional quarantine, the department said.
Of the total number of fatalities reported during the day, 335 occurred over the past 48 hours, while 259 fatalities took place last week, but were added to the toll today, it said.
Mumbai city logged 1,329 new cases, taking its tally to 6,91,352, while 57 deaths pushed the toll to 14,373, it added.
Mumbai division, which comprises Mumbai city and its satellite townships, reported 3,446 COVID-19 cases and 94 deaths, of which 12 were from Thane municipal limits.
Pune division added 9,317 cases and 103 deaths.
This is the highest number of cases added by any division on Wednesday.
Pune city reported 1,223 cases, while 2,551 and 2,598 cases were added by Pune rural and Satara district respectively.
Solapur rural also added 2,130 cases.
Out of 103 deaths, Solapur rural reported 37 followed by 25 in Pune rural, 24 in Pune city and 11 in Satara district, the department said.
Nashik division reported 6,623 new cases and 81 casualties, of which 22 each were reported in rural parts of Nashik and Ahmednagar.
Ahmednagar city added 2,878, followed by 1,091 from rural parts of Nashik district.
Kolhapur division reported 3,552 COVID-19 cases, of which 1,491 were from Sangli rural.
The division also reported 118 deaths, of which 68 were from Solapur alone followed by 26 in Sangli rural.
Kolhapur had reported 115 deaths on Tuesday.
In Marathwada, Aurangabad division added 1,853 cases and 48 deaths, of which 21 were in Aurangabad rural, while 10 in Parbhani district, the department said.
Beed district in Latur division reported 950 cases and 32 deaths.
Latur rural recorded 11 fatalities.
Akola division logged 4,150 cases and 35 deaths.
Amravati and Buldhana districts added 1,086 and 1,028 cases respectively.
Nagpur division's caseload went up by 2,898 cases, while the fatality count grew by 53, the department said.
As 2,85,647 COVID-19 tests were carried out during the day, the overall test count increased to 3,18,74,364.
Maharashtra's coronavirus figures are as follows: Positive cases: 54,67,537; new cases: 34,031; death toll: 84,371; discharged: 49,78,937; active cases: 4,01,695; people tested so far: 3,18,74,364.