New Delhi, May 21 (IANS): With the rising number of cases of 'black fungus' in the capital complaints regarding shortage of Amphotericin B, a drug used to treat black fungus, have started coming in. Also, private hospitals are struggling to procure the suddenly in-demand drug.

The private healthcares in Delhi have voiced concern that the rare 'fungal' infection is only going to increase in the days to come. As per the reports, several private hospitals have pointed out that a committee setup under the Delhi Government to provide medicines is causing delay in providing Amphotericin B due to a lot of paperwork having to be done for the purpose.

Doctors said that in normal situations, they use drugs immediately but now they would have to undertake paperwork and get the drug use cleared by the government. They say the paperwork has certainly added to the hospitals' troubles. It's time consuming to fill in patient details on the government portal. The government could consider daily delivery of the drug to a hospital since it would be easier this way to check the usage as well.

Replying to a query in the matter, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday that the supply of Amphotericin B and other required medicines are controlled by the Centre and the states are receiving supply of medicines as per the allotted quota. "Shortage of Amphotericin B is not only in Delhi but across the nation. Delhi government will provide it to the hospitals as soon as the medicine is received from the Centre," Jain added.

"The Centre will provide around 2000 injections of Amphotericin B and the state administration will supply it to the hospitals as soon as it is received," Jain added.

An advisory issued by the Delhi Government stated that a committee has been formed to prevent the indiscriminate use of this injection and to establish a transparent, efficient and time-bound system of distribution of this drug to the needy Covid-19 patients on clinically approved grounds.