The Centre on Wednesday told the Bombay high court that it has allocated Amphotericin B, used for treating mucormycosis or black fungus, on a need-based system and it has not discriminated against any state regarding its allotment including Maharashtra.
The additional solicitor general Anil Singh told the high court that the allotment of the antifungal drugs to Maharashtra has been regular despite Amphotericin B being in short supply. He said that the Centre is trying its best to meet the demands raised by all the state governments, according to a report by news agency PTI. He was responding to a previous query raised by the high court where it questioned the Centre if its system of distribution of the antifungal drug was based on a system of ‘equitable distribution.’
The high court was listening to several public interest litigations (PILs) on the management of resources related to the pandemic and Maharashtra government’s preparedness ahead of a probable third wave. around 15,000 vials of Amphotericin B to Maharashtra daily in the last few months. He also said that 140,260 vials have been delivered to Maharashtra in the second wave so far.
“Nobody can dispute we are allocating as per drug availability in the country and the demands raised by states. The Centre is leaving no stone unturned to see that the drug is available in adequate quantity. A task force is constituted which is being monitored by the Supreme Court. We have granted licenses to six pharmaceutical companies to import the latest and most effective variant of Amphotericin B from a United States-based company,” Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}“Nobody can dispute we are allocating as per drug availability in the country and the demands raised by states. The Centre is leaving no stone unturned to see that the drug is available in adequate quantity. A task force is constituted which is being monitored by the Supreme Court. We have granted licenses to six pharmaceutical companies to import the latest and most effective variant of Amphotericin B from a United States-based company,” Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}Advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, who appeared for Maharashtra, said the states’ current requirement is 17,500 vials per day. He also highlighted that the in-house production deal with pharma company Haffkine Bio will give the state 40,000 more vials of the drug between June 18 and June 30. Kumbhakoni said that Maharashtra saw 75 deaths in the past week due to mucormycosis. There are currently 7,511 active cases of black fungus in the state. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's advocate Anil Sakhre said that there are 282 active cases of black fungus in Mumbai.
The court set the hearing on the plea for June 25.
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