BENGALURU: Increasingly coming under pressure in the wake of a severe shortage of Amphotericin-B, used to treat black and white fungus infections, the State Government has now instructed doctors to use their discretion in administering the drug on patients. Government officials are justifying the move stating that all patients do not need the medication immediately, and doctors should use it judiciously as there is a shortage.
“We are able to deliver only 500-600 vials a day, against the increase in demand. We are also equally frustrated as, first it was with Remdesivir, and now this. We cannot deliver the drug till we get it from the manufacturers. So, we are requesting doctors to use their discretion and administer the medication to patients on priority,” a Health Department official, who did not wish to be named, told The New Indian Express.As per government records, 733 patients in private hospitals and 328 patients in government hospitals are undergoing treatment for black and white fungus infections. Each patient needs four vials of Amphotericin-B. There is still no clarity on how many patients are admitted in medical colleges.
Doctors, however, stressed that doing so is unethical and against professional rules. “We cannot tell a patient that you do not need the medication because your condition is not so severe. What we are telling patients is that alternative medicines will be used till Amphotericin-B is available. Every patient is equal and the disease should be immediately controlled at the early stages itself and not wait till the condition gets bad,” a doctor at a private hospital said, adding that the government must work to get more doses and companies should not delay supplies.
Experts pointed out that the time is not far when, like Remdesivir, the use of Amphotericin-B will also be regulated. “This is because the demand is shooting up the same way and blackmarketing should not start. The government should learn from the past and make wise decisions, instead of asking doctors to used their discretion, based on a patient’s condition,” a Technical Advisory Committee member said.
Meanwhile, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said that black fungus infection is treatable. “However, in some cases, where the infection has reached the eyes, removal becomes inevitable to weed out even the tiniest trace of the infection so that it does not invade the brain. Hence, the eyes are removed to stop the spread to the brain and not due to lack of medicine. Treatment of black fungus will be decided by ophthalmologists and ENT specialists based on the condition of each case. I am in constant touch with the Union Minister to ensure sufficient supply of the medicine,” the minister added.
B’luru hospitals see much higher deaths
Data from just three city hospitals shows that the fatalities are much higher, at 41 deaths. Apollo Hospital has seen three deaths, Minto Eye Hospital and Victoria Hospital saw 34 deaths and Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital reported four deaths. Narayana Nethralaya and Aster CMI Hospital reported no deaths, while seven other hospitals did not share data.