MUMBAI: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday said that the state government has classified black fungus as a notified disease.
Addressing the media, Tope said, "There are 2,245 cases of black fungus in the state. The state government has classified black fungus as a notified disease."
"Under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, patients of black fungus will receive free treatment at state-run hospitals," the Maharashtra Health Minister further said.
Several states and UTs have declared mucormycosis, also called black fungus, as an epidemic under the Epidemic Diseases Act (1897).
Tope also said that the current COVID-19 positivity rate is 12 per cent and the recovery rate is 93 per cent in the state.
Talking about the state's global tender for Covid-19 vaccines he said, "We haven't received any response to the global tender for vaccine procurement. We are requesting the Central govt to float tender and provide us vaccines," he added.
Meanwhile, the state on Monday reported 22,122 new #COVID19 cases, 42,320 recoveries and 361 deaths in the last 24 hours. There are 3,27,580 active cases in the state.
Tope also said the state would get 60,000 vials of Amphotericin-B, the key drug for the treatment of mucormycosis patients, from June 1 onwards.
There are 2,245 patients of mucormycosis, also known as the black fungus, in Maharashtra, Tope told reporters after attending a review meeting on the mucormycosis and COVID-19 cases in the state.
Tope said the state has floated a global tender for procuring Amphotericin-B vials for the treatment of mucormycosis.
"The state would get 60,000 vials of the medicine from June 1 onwards. It will be an additional supply apart from the current allocation of the medicine by the Centre," he said.
The minister said there are 2,245 patients of black fungus in the state and out of them, 1,007 are already covered under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), he said.
"The entire cost of the treatment of mucormycosis patients under the MJPJAY will be free of cost, including the cost of the medicine. The state is also trying to cap the cost of treatment of mucormycosis patients who are admitted in private hospitals," he said.
Tope said the Maharashtra government has issued a GR (government resolution) regarding such treatment and the finance department has allocated Rs 30 crore for the same.
There have been several cases of mucormycosis, a rare but serious fungal infection, among COVID-19 patients in Maharashtra and some other states.
(With PTI Inputs)