Gujarat Govt lists Mucormycosis mitigation measures in HC

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Monday said it was carrying out regular consultation with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) regarding the treatment of Mucormycosis, or black fungus disease, cases of which have seen a sharp rise in the state.

In an affidavit submitted in the Gujarat High Court, the state government said the treatment protocol for the disease has been made under the guidance of expert doctors and medical institutions, and separate wards have been created in district and civic hospitals as well as those attached to medical colleges.

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The government submission in HC in a suo motu PIL on the COVID-19 pandemic, which will come up for hearing on Wednesday, said guidelines for its treatment have been given to medical facilities on May 15, while "regular consultation is being done with ICMR and AllMS, New Delhi regarding the treatment of Mucormycosis". On May 21, the state government notified Mucormycosis as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, and also formulated a policy on May 19 for equitable distribution of (Liposomal Amphotericin B) medicine used in its treatment, it said.

The government's affidavit said patients undergoing Mucormycosis treatment in private hospitals can obtain the injection from seven government hospitals at the specified rates, for which these private facilities will be required to send a request to the concerned government hospital along with details of the patient. The medicine will be supplied "on the basis of available quota on a pro rata basis", it said. In its affidavit, the government said, as against 13,558 approved posts, 2,326 are vacant in PHCs, while in CHCs, out of 1,928 approved posts, 3,352 posts are vacant.

In 1,477 PHCs, 345 CHCs, and 163 UHCs in the state, 1,452, 336, and 149 RT-PCR collection centres are available, respectively, it said. It further said 56,201 beds in the state's rural areas comprise 5,353 ICU beds, out of which 2,026 beds are with ventilators and 3,327 without ventilator, as well as 22,677 oxygen beds and 28,171 isolation beds without oxygen.

In terms of COVID-19 tests, the government submitted that between May 1 and May 22, a total 28,40,846 samples were tested, with 12,54,420, or around 44 per cent, tested through RT-PCR. There are 107 RT-PCR testing laboratories across the state, of which 96 laboratories have 209 RT-PCR machines, which have a capacity of 77,560 tests per day, it said. Giving a break-up of the 96 labs, it said 48 government RT-PCR labs have 95 RT-PCR machines, with a capacity of 32,860 tests per day, while 48 private RT-PCR laboratories have 114 RT-PCR machines, with a capacity of 44,700 tests per day, it said.

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