On Thursday, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and State COVID task force leader, Dr CN Ashwathnarayan, said that Mucormycosis, or black fungus, has been declared a notifiable disease and none of the hospitals can treat the disease without informing the concerned government authorities.
Ashwathnarayan said to the reporters during his visit to the Suttur Mutt, “Government is providing treatment for black fungus in all the six division centres of the state and Mysuru Medical College will be providing the treatment in this region. Apart from this, the treatment is available in private hospitals also.” He also added that the drug needed for the treatment of black fungus is currently imported and now a few companies have expressed their interest in manufacturing it locally. The shortage of the drug will be resolved once manufacturing began here.
According to him, the number of RAT/RTPCR tests will be increased in all 149 PHCs in the district, including 25 in Mysuru. The aim is to reduce the number of positive cases. “To avoid delay in drug procurement, the process is now being carried out through Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society. This has ensured timely delivery of the required drugs,” said the minister.
The minister also informed that the government laboratories have been upgraded to handle 1 lakh RTPCS tests per day, while private hospitals can handle 75,000 RTPCS tests per day. He said, “The government has taken steps to procure drugs which are enough to treat 35-40 lakh infected persons. Government labs have been strengthened to conduct 1 lakh tests each day and private hospitals can handle 75,000 RTPCS tests every day. Besides this, 50,000 RAT tests are being done every day.”
When asked about the number of oxygenated beds in the state, the minister told, that the number of oxygenated beds has risen by 25,000 in the last year, added with 3,000 ventilators. Ashwathnarayan briefed, “Karnataka has been allocated highest number of Remdesivir after Maharashtra.”
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