Amphotericin B to cost Rs 1,425 per vial

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, May 20

The Punjab Government has decided to provide Amphotericin B injection from the government stock at Rs 1,424.82 (excluding 5 per cent GST) per vial. All districts in the state have been informed in this regard by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

The injection is used for management of Covid-19 patients. Cases of mucormycosis (black fungus) among survivors and those undergoing treatment have come to the fore in the state, following which there is an acute shortage of the injection.

As the demand was minimal earlier, the injection was not produced in bulk. But a sudden spike in demand has led to its shortage.

According to a notification issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the state government has decided to allocate supplies received by the government at the central store to all districts for further supply to government Covid care centres and private centres/ chemists located inside private centres.

The payment for the injections supplied to private centres/chemists would be made to a separate bank account of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC).

The prices to be charged from private centres/ chemists would be the same as the rate at which it has been procured by the National Health Mission, said Kumar Rahul, Secretary, Health-cum-Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration.

Other states too are facing the shortage of the injection and patients are running struggling to procure it. Nearly 30 injections are administered to a single patient. The state government has procured a few hundred vials and is in the process of procuring more from the Centre.