Medicines Dry Up As Black Fungus Cases Rise, Bihar Says Wait For Tuesday

Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey said all the hospitals will be provided the much-needed injections on Tuesday, "the Central Government assured us".

Black Fungus cases spiking in Bihar, the state government has not sent supplies of the anti-fungal injection for over 300 patients admitted in different hospitals of Patna for two straight days. With supplies for Saturday also being patchy, the hospitals in the state are running short of Liposomal Amphotericin B injection -- the most effective treatment for Black Fungus or Mucormycosis. The state government has assured that the supply will resume on Tuesday. Health Minister Mangal Pandey said all the hospitals will be provided the much-needed injections on Tuesday, "the Central Government assured us". Officials at the state health department said their hands are tied as the Central government is the only procuring agency and they are completely dependent on them. The last two premier hospitals in Patna, the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences or AIIMS and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences or IGIMS, received the medication last on Saturday. But the number of vials was limited -- far below the requirement of the 200-plus patients admitted in the two hospitals.