Bombay HC pulls up Centre & Maharashtra over mucor, says people are dying, losing organs – Times of India

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Centre and state governments for their failure to take effective steps to tackle mucormycosis.
Orally observing that the patients are dying in the state due to this disease and some are losing out vital organs like eyes, the bench said the current situation demands war-like response, but it was found wanting.
“Unless immediate steps are taken, the situation is not going to improve. We urge both governments to initiate immediate measures to increase production capacity of the Indian companies manufacturing ‘Amphotericin B Lipid complex’. Whatever help is needed must be made available by both authorities. The entire machinery can be pressed into service to augment the production, if required,” a division bench comprising Justices Sunil Shukre and Avinash Gharote said before adjourning the hearing of a suo motu PIL till next Wednesday.
Explaining concern over the growing number of black fungus patients in the city, the judges said there were 1,584 registered patients till May 29, of which 830 were operated upon so far. “Of them, eyeballs of 74 were removed to stop the infection from spreading, while 69 have succumbed to the disease. These are alarming figures, which shows that the infection is no longer a rare one, but assuming a form of an epidemic.”