HC asks Maharashtra govt about preparedness to deal with fungal infections, third Covid wave

The Bombay high court (HC) has sought to know from the authorities as to what measures they propose to take to deal with issues pertaining to mucormycosis and aspergillosis and what are their preparations to deal with the third wave of Covid, which according to experts is likely to affect the younger generation in particular

The Bombay high court (HC) has sought to know from the authorities as to what measures they propose to take to deal with issues pertaining to mucormycosis and aspergillosis and what are their preparations to deal with the third wave of Covid, which according to experts is likely to affect the younger generation in particular. The court also directed the authorities to ensure a sufficient supply of drugs for the new fungal infections which are found in Covid patients.

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A division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni, while hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PIL) alleging improper Covid-19 management in Maharashtra and seeking directions on shortage of remdesivir, medical oxygen supply and other issues, was informed by the petitioners that while the issue of oxygen and Covid drugs was addressed, there was now a scarcity of drugs for the treatment of fungal infections such as mucormycosis (black fungus) and Aspergillosis.

Advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, while informing the bench of complying with its earlier directions, said that on May 31 BMC commissioner IS Chahal had conducted a conference with the civic chiefs of other municipal corporations in the vicinity to discuss the largely successful ‘Mumbai model’ of Covid management and the response by commissioners of other civic bodies was awaited. Kumbhakoni assured the court that the issue of lack of oxygen and Remdesivir supplies in the state has been addressed and situation was under control.

Thereafter, the court observed, “On perusal of the affidavits, it appears that there have been significant improvements in the recent past so much so that supply of liquid medical oxygen and Remdesivir, being the immediate concerns raised before us in course of previous hearings, can be put aside for the time being; and the focus shifted to deal with newer diseases like mucormycosis and aspergillosis as well as the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the respondents to contain the third wave which, as per the opinion of experts, is likely to affect the younger generation in particular.”

Kumbhakoni submitted that in-house manufacturing of Amphotericin B drug had been started at Haffkine Institute in Mumbai and it took 20 days to produce the drug. The first batch of 40,000 would be available by June 6.

The bench also issued various directions in other PILs pertaining to spitting, wherein, it asked the BMC to frame a policy for effective implementation of anti-spitting rules during the pandemic.

The bench also directed the state government to provide a ‘better version’ of special masks for speech and audio impaired persons for their identification while hearing another PIL and also sought to know from the state government the policy it has adopted for Covid-19 treatment of visually impaired persons for easy and ‘barrier free’ access to medical facilities, among other reliefs.

The PILs will be heard next on June 8, except for the anti-spitting PIL which will be heard in July.