The surgery of Mucormycosis can be conducted at private hospitals under the state health insurance scheme if the allotted date of operation is beyond 7 days of admission at Delhi government-run hospitals, the latest order from the health and family welfare department seen by The Statesman stated.

The move is taken to address the limited capacity of performing surgeries pertaining to Mucormycosis at Delhi government hospitals and taking in view of the ferocious nature of the disease which requires urgent and timely surgical intervention.

The Directorate General of Health Services clarified that the beneficiaries of the Delhi government’s cashless surgery scheme, Delhi Aarogya Kosh, will be eligible to undergo the surgery of Mucormycosis at private hospitals empanelled under the scheme.

However, the patients need to be referred from a Delhi government-run hospital if the allotted date of surgery goes beyond 7 days from admission to the hospital.

“In view of the limited capacity for performing surgeries pertaining to Mucormycosis in Delhi Government Hospitals. Hon’ble Minister of Health-cum- Chairman, Delhi Arogya Kosh has approved that eligible patients (resident of Delhi identified on the basis of Voter ID of Delhi) undergoing treatment for Mucormycosis in Delhi Government Hospitals may be referred to empanelled private hospitals under cashless surgery scheme of Delhi Arogya Kosh if the allotted date of surgery in the concerned Delhi Government Hospital is beyond 7 (seven) days,” the order copy read.

“Mucormycosis is a life-threatening disease which requires urgent and timely surgical intervention,” it noted.

The State government had in May this year declared mucormycosis an epidemic and a notifiable disease, and made it mandatory for the health facilities to report every case of the disease under the Epidemic Act, 1897 by Delhi L-G Anil Baijal.

Delhi Aarogya Kosh is a flagship health scheme by the Delhi government wherein over 1,100 kinds of medical interventions can be availed of by any Delhi resident for free in empanelled private hospitals. This includes cancer surgeries, neonatal services and treatment of several vector-borne illnesses.