The Maharashtra government on Tuesday told the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday that patients with mucormycosis (black fungus) will be treated free of cost and covered under the Mahatma Jotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana (MJP JAY) and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Maharashtra’s counsel told a division bench of Justices R.V. Ghuge and B.U. Debadwar that the government will be a capping the expenses for treating mucormycosis. He said about 130 hospitals in the State are identified to be providing facilities for anti-fungal treatment. Medicines for treating it will be available through the district civil surgeon and those admitted in hospitals for black fungus will be provided medicines free of cost.
The court was also informed that 1,000 more hospitals are to be empanelled and 19 medical and surgical packages have been identified for treatment of mucormycosis under MJP JAY. The daily use and consumption of the required medicines by the hospitals while treating mucormychosis patients will be monitored through the MJP JAY web portal, the counsel said.
Publicise details: Bench
The court recorded, “It is thus apparent that the State of Maharashtra has come out with a specific policy of treating mucormycosis patients free of cost. We, therefore, expect the State to accord wide publicity to the decision so that the poorest of the poor, the illiterate and semi-literate and persons living in remote and tribals areas would become aware of these facilities. This would prevent unscrupulous elements from fleecing poor and ignorant people by using large bills or affording the treatment on mucormycosis.”
The bench went on to say, “Needless to state, the list of hospitals identified for such treatment and through which the medicines would be made available, should also be given wide publicity so that the patients do not land in wrong hospitals for availing treatment on mucormycosis.”
The court also directed hospitals providing this facility to display instructions for the public about availability of beds and medicines. The bench will continue to hear the matter on May 25.
On May 18, this month has seen an increase in the number of cases of Mucormycosis which is seen in either those infected with the COVID 19 virus or those who have recovered from it.
Since almost two months, the court is hearing a bunch of petitions and public interest litigations regarding the supply and demand of medicines, oxygen, funds and management by authorities to handle the COVID 19 pandemic
