With mucormycosis cases rising across the state, Gujarat Congress working president Hardik Patel urged Chief Minister Vijay Rupani to make treatment free for patients suffering from the fungal disease at government and private hospitals. In a letter to Rupani, Hardik on Monday said, “The second wave of corona(virus) has created havoc in the country with people facing various difficulties like shortage of oxygen, hospital beds, injections and black marketing of medicines. More people have died in the second wave than in the first.” Highlighting that even before one catastrophe ended, another one is “sneaking into the state”. “Today, mucormycosis is raising its head in entire Gujarat. More than 2,281 cases of mucormycosis have already been registered in Gujarat and (the number) is increasing rapidly,” Patel stated. The Congress leader said the treatment of mucormycosis was very costly and there is waiting for operations to cure the same in government hospitals. “And because of the waiting in the government hospitals, poor people are forced to get treatment in private hospitals, which is very expensive,” he said. Amphoterecin B injections, which are being used in the treatment of mucormycosis, are very expensive and each patient requires around 100-150 vials of the injection during treatment, Hardik added. Pointing out that the government of neighbouring Rajasthan has decided to provide free treatment to mucormycosis patients in government and private hospitals, the Congress leader said the Vijay Rupani government should also declare free treatment for mucormycosis in the state.
