Over two dozen cases of the rare mucormycosis disease, commonly known as black fungus, were detected in Nepal. However, government hospitals in the country don’t have the stock of Liposomal Amphotericin B, the drug used for the treatment of the disease. 

“We had received 1,000 doses of Liposomal Amphotericin B in early June from the World Health Organization (WHO) but they have been used up,” Krishna Prasad Paudel, the spokesperson at Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post.  

“Alternative drugs can be found in the market but they are not as good as Liposomal Amphotericin B,” he added. “The government does not have a stock of these alternative drugs either.”

India, which has so far reported over 31000 cases of black fungus, had early this month put the drug on the export ban list. A few stores in Kathmandu, that managed to stock some vials of the drug prior to the ban, are selling it at exorbitant prices. 

Nepal had asked for 3000 doses of  Liposomal Amphotericin B from the WHO but received only 1000. Those drugs have already been used in treating 16 patients. Paudel, the health ministry’s spokesperson, said they were not when they will receive further dose