Hospitals to report suspected, confirmed cases
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 24: Days after the Centre directed States as well the Union Territories to declare Black Fungus reported in the COVID-19 cases, as an epidemic, the J&K Government today issued a notification in this regard declaring it as an ‘Epidemic Disease.’
In this regard, the Health & Medical Education Department issued “Epidemic Diseases (MUCORMYCOSIS) Regulations, 2021”, directing the private as well as Government hospitals to report suspected as well as confirmed cases of Black Fungus—also known as Mucormycosis—to the Health Department.
According to the regulations issued, all the Government and private health facilities, Medical Colleges have been asked to “follow the guidelines for screening, diagnosis, management of Mucormycosis, issued by the Ministry of Health and Female Welfare/Indian Council for Medical Research/Government of Jammu and Kashmir as amended from time to time…”
They have also been directed to make it mandatory to report suspected and confirmed cases to Health Department through District Level Chief Medical Officers and Integrated Disease Surveillance
“No person/ institution or organization will spread any information or material for the management of Mucormycosis without prior permission from Director Health Services, Jammu/Kashmir,” read the notification issued.
The notification also prohibited a person, institution or organization from using any print, electronic or any other form of media for Mucormycosis without prior permission from Director Health Services, Jammu as well as Kashmir.
In this regard, the Director Health Services, Jammu as well as Kashmir have been directed to constitute a District Committee headed by Chief Medical Officer of the concerned District, which will have specialist of Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, ENT and Epidemiologist as members “to review any disobeying by the person/ institution or organization of the notification or any order issued under these regulations,” the notification stated.
It said that if disobeying is proved, a notice would be issued by the Chief Medical Officer of the concerned district against such person/ institution organization, indicating the offence/ irregularly conducted as per this notification.
“The reply of person/ institution or organization received against the notice will be reviewed by the aforementioned District Committee.”
If the reply is not received within a stipulated time of receipt of the notice or if the reply is found unsatisfactory by the Committee and it is confirmed that the person/ institution or organization has disobeyed regulations, the notification stated that “the Chief Medical Officer of the concerned district will take necessary action against the delinquent person/ institution or organization as per Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.”
It also stated that any person, institution or organization disobeying these Regulations or order issued under these Regulations shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 188 of Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
Further, in para 9 of the notification, it stated that no suit or legal proceedings shall lie against any person for anything done or intended to be done in good faith under these regulations.
Notably, earlier one case of Black Fungus was reported in Jammu who later died at GMC, Jammu and another suspected case was reported to GDC, Srinagar.
In a letter written a few days ago to the States and UTs, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal had stated that declaring the Black Fungus infection would lead to health facilities screening for it and reporting all such cases to the Government.
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