Maharashtra govt declares Mucormycosis as notifiable disease

Photo used for representational purpose. Pic/AFP

Maharashtra government on Tuesday declared mucormycosis or black fungus infection as notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, said state health minister Rajesh Tope.

"There are 2,245 cases of black fungus in the state. Under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, patients of black fungus will receive free treatment at state-run hospitals," Tope said.

On Monday, the Maharashtra government had told the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court that fungal ailment mucormycosis was now covered under the Mahatma Jotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

Citizens will receive free treatment for mucormycosis at pre-identified hospitals and nursing homes across Maharashtra under the above schemes, the state had said.

The Maharashtra government told a bench of Justices R V Ghuge and B U Debadwar that it had identified 130 hospitals across the state for treating anti-fungal ailments and citizens, even those who did not hold cards for the insurance schemes mentioned above, could avail the treatment for mucormycosis at these facilities free of cost.

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The state said 1,000 more hospitals would be empanelled for treating mucormycosis under the above two schemes soon.

The government said anti-fungal medicines required for treating mucormycosis will be provided free of cost to patients admitted in these hospitals and private hospitals will also be restrained from "raising astronomical bills".

Besides Maharashtra, other states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana have also proclaimed it as a Notifiable Disease, as Black Fungus cases have been found in at least 22 Indian states.

Several states, including Maharashtra have reported a shortage of the drug Liposomal Amphotericin-B used to treat the drug.