Will declare black fungus an epidemic if need arises: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the government will declare black fungus an epidemic if the need arises and appealed to hospitals to use steroids in COVID treatment in controlled manner.

"We will declare black fungus situation in Delhi an epidemic if the need arises...I want to appeal to all hospitals and doctors to use steroids in controlled amount. The patients need to control their sugar levels. Mixture of steroids and (blood) sugar is causing black fungus," Kejriwal told the media here.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi government decided to open centres for treatment of black fungus in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB), and Rajiv Gandhi Hospital.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting convened to tackle the rising cases of the infection in Delhi.

"Delhi is the capital of the country and people from other states also come here for treatment. We should have sufficient quantity of medicines to cater to everyone who is coming for the treatment of black fungus," Kejriwal said.

The three dedicated hospitals will be equipped with teams of specialised doctors.

Officials said the government will also ensure adequate procurement of medicines used in its treatment and take all measures to spread awareness among people about the disease prevention measures.

Kejriwal, in the meeting, discussed preventive measures with officials and it was decided to prepare a detailed plan and issue SOPs.

The Delhi government will also procure medicines for the treatment of the disease from the central government.

Delhi Nodal Minister for COVID-19 management Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Chief Secretary and health officials were among those present in the meeting.

( With inputs from ANI )