The number of patients with Mucormycosis or Black Fungus to have been admitted to the Government ENT Hospital, Koti, has increased to 20. The hospital was recently turned into the nodal centre for admission and treatment of such cases.
Of the 20, two were operated on. Investigations and medical procedures in the run-up to the surgery are being offered to the remaining 18 patients.
Superintendent of the hospital, T. Shankar said they have allotted two out of the five operation theatres (OTs) to such cases. “If need be, all five OTs will be used for operation of Black Fungus patients,” he added.
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Officials are anticipating more cases in the coming days. Availability of anti-fungal drugs at the government hospital is another reason that demand for the services there may increase.
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Dr Shankar said people can dial 040-24740245 for admission-related queries. Currently, the helpline service is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, and patients may be asked for CT scan and other reports.
The hospital’s superintendent said that soon they will ensure that people can reach the number for a response round the clock.
He added that only COVID-negative patients with the fungal infection are admitted there. If the Mucormycosis patients are COVID-positive, they are sent to Gandhi Hospital.
Know the symptoms
ENT specialists and opthalmologists have stressed the importance of awareness on Black Fungus symptoms so that the patients do not neglect the infection till they end up in a critical stage. Many patients were seen to have delayed consulting a specialist doctor since they assumed that the symptoms were post-COVID complications.
A senior ophthalmologist-oculoplasty specialist at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Tarjani Vivek Dave said that the symptoms include any kind of facial pain, pain over the sinuses (cheekbones), stuffy nose, blood-stained or black nasal discharge, drooping of the upper eyelid, unusual bulging of the eyes, restricted movement of the eyeball, sudden redness and extreme swelling over the eyeball, sudden decrease in vision and black lesions on the palate or dental pain.
“If the patient experiences any such symptoms, he or she should immediately consult a specialised eye surgeon, preferably an oculoplasty specialist. Alternatively, an ENT surgeon can also be consulted. Patients can also avail tele-consultation facility if they are in isolation or admitted to a hospital,” Dr Tarjani said.