PGIMER sees spurt in mucormycosis cases

Naina Mishra

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 28

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here is witnessing a tsunami of mucormycosis cases, commonly known as black fungus.

The premier health institute witnessed 116 cases this month alone.

Dr Naresh Panda, Head of ENT Department, said, “The cases of mucormycosis have been on a rise in the PGIMER.”

“More than 95 per cent patients who have the fungal infection also have uncontrolled diabetes. Around 70 per cent patients are Covid positive and 20 per cent of the patients have recovered from Covid. The remaining 10 per cent patients did not have Covid at all,” said Dr Panda.

“Many of the patients were home isolated in the month of April and their oxygen level had also dropped. These patients have a history of taking steroids,” Dr Panda pointed out.

“The mucormycosis patients in our institute were not treated at the PGI for Covid. We have been treating our patients with judicious use of steroids,” he said.

Dr Panda further said: “There is one OT dedicated to mucormycosis, which runs for 12 hours continuously. There is a waiting list of 5-6 patients for surgery every day.”

“The treatment requires removal of the infected part. The dead tissues need to be removed so that anti-fungal drugs work better on such patients,” he informed.

“The mortality rate with respect to mucormycosis so far is 10 per cent. Almost 45-50 per cent patients require removal of eyes as a part of treatment,” said Dr Panda.

Of the total mucormycosis cases in the PGI, 62 belong to Punjab, 25 are from Haryana, 11 from Uttar Pradesh, four from Rajasthan, and three each from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. There are seven cases from Chandigarh.