After Covid-19, Black fungus has emerged as a new cause of concern for the citizens of the country. As India makes advancement in terms of treatment with Covid antibody detection kit, self-testing home kits, doing away with procurement of Remdesivir and convalescent plasma, the increasing cases of Black Fungus, and now White Fungus, has put everyone in a difficult situation, especially with drugs like Liposomal and Amphotericin B entering the black market.
With the shortage of Lipsomal and Amphotericin around the country, black marketers have started duping families of patients in times of despair. In most cases, the attendants, failing to procure the prescribed drugs from the hospital and online/offline pharmacies, reach out to people who claim to have the stock and promise delivery the same day. In return, the seller charges exorbitant amount starting at Rs 50,000 as advance payment. Once the payment is made, the seller refuses to pick calls or respond to messages.
Speaking on the situation, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said same black marketing and fraud happened in the case of Remdesivir and is now happening with Amphotericin B. They have issued an advisory to state governments to take action against such people and urge those who are looting such needy people to not cause such trouble.
The Uttarakhand government on Saturday issued an SOP to prevent black marketing of black fungus medicine, wherein it highlighted that the prescribed drug will be available only in dedicated Covid-19 health care medical colleges and only in state government institutions. Meanwhile, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi has written to PM Modi requesting him to take action on the acute scarcity of Liposomal Amphotericin-B in the market and to cover Mucormycosis in Ayushman Bharat and other health insurance products.
