New Delhi: Amid rising cases of mucormycosis, also called ''Black Fungus'', Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make injections for its treatment available to the people free of cost.
She also asked him to make public the total number of people suffering from the disease in each state.
The number of patients with mucormycosis, which has a 50 per cent mortality rate, has crossed 11,000 in the country and there is a shortage of injections, she said.
She also questioned the Central government''s seriousness in dealing with the disease and asked "why adequate steps have not been taken yet" to mitigate the suffering of the people as "they are not getting injections for its treatment".
In her appeal to the prime minister, Vadra highlighted the suffering of the people and raised the issue of the high price of injections used in treating mucormycosis.
She said patients have to spend lakhs of rupees on injections as the treatment for mucormycosis is not covered under the Ayushman Bharat health scheme.
"There is a shortage of injections for treatment of mucormycosis. We have faced a shortage of medicines during the pandemic even though we are the ''world''s pharmacy''. Who is responsible? The injection is expensive and is not even covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Modi ji please take immediate steps in this direction," she said on Twitter.
"Everywhere, cases of black fungus (mucormycosis) are rising fast. The patients suffering from this serious disease are not getting the Liposomal Amphotericin B injections used for treating it. A large number of people are appealing for these jabs," she said.
Vadra highlighted that a recent video showing a child from Indore appealing for these injections for her father has pained many and news of soldiers not getting the jabs in two Army Hospitals in the national capital have also come to light.
"Time demands that you take immediate steps in this direction so that people''s lives can be saved. Your government''s attitude towards this disease is not serious. Keeping in view the number of cases, the availability of these injections is very less," she said.
There were 8,848 mucormycosis patients in the country till May 22 which rose to 11,717 after May 25. In only three days, there was a rise of 2,869 cases. There should be no laxity in the treatment of this disease as it has 50 per cent mortality, the Congress general secretary said.
Noting that lakhs of rupees are spent for treating black fungus and its injection is not even covered under the Aayushmaan Bharat scheme, Vadra said, "My appeal to you is to include the treatment for this disease in the scheme or the injections be provided free of cost to all patients."
"What is the reason that after May 25 the number of cases of black fungus is not disclosed, while the Centre is regularly making public the number of injections provided to states," she posed.
Vadra asked that why is data of black fungus cases not being made public when the number of coronavirus cases is being published.
"My appeal to you is to make public the total number of mucormycosis cases every day and the government should take steps to increase the production and availability of this injection used for treating the disease so that people afflicted by it do not suffer," the Congress leader said.
