Jharkhand joined the list of states that have declared mucormycosis, or black fungus, as an epidemic with the Hemant Soren cabinet putting its seal of approval on the decision considering the rising number of cases occurring among Covid patients.

As per the health department, till Tuesday, Jharkhand has recorded 136 cases of black fungus of which 82 are confirmed and the rest suspected. As many as 26 people have died due to the deadly disease while 52 have been cured. At least seven out of 24 districts are currently classified in the red category considering the prevalence of black fungus.

Cabinet coordination secretary Vandana Dadel said, “Today (Tuesday), the state cabinet has officially given its nod to declare black fungus as an epidemic which means it will now be part of the disease notified under the Epidemic Act. All public and private hospitals are mandated to provide daily reports of new cases to the state government and stick to the prescribed treatment protocols and other regulations.”

Amid the brutal second wave of Covid-19 in April and May, India began witnessing a rare fungal infection among Covid-19 patients, which experts dubbed as a side effect of prolonged use of steroids. In Jharkhand, the first few cases began surfacing at the end of April, and since then, there has been a steady rise in numbers.

As many as 15 decisions were taken at Tuesday's cabinet meeting headed by Hemant. Among them are the state government's nod to direct recruitment of eight sportspersons, a one-time extension of government health workers who were due to retire in March next year by six months, formation of statutes on minimum qualification for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in colleges and universities, allotment of 200 acresof land to Patratu Vidyut Urja Nigam Limited (PVUNL), a joint venture of NTPC and the state government, for setting up a 4,000 mega watt power plant at Patratu in Ramgarh.