Gleneagles Global Health City (GGHC) has formed a 27-member mucormycosis task force to treat COVID-19 patients with the condition.
The team comprises eye surgeons, ENT specialists, plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, infectious disease experts, internal medicine consultants, diabetologists, radiologists, pathologists and dental maxillo facial surgeons.
Director of Infections Diseases and Infection Control Subramanian Swaminathan said the hospital had experience handling such instances, and this had better prepared them for the current scenario. Ashwin Karuppan V., consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine and Diabetology, said with the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of cases of mucormycosis had increased, demanding timely attention of a multi-disciplinary team.
Senior consultant of Histopathology Mouleeswaran said the infection had been noticed earlier in patients who had undergone organ transplant, besides those with uncontrolled diabetes and immuno-compromised patients. “We give reports within a few minutes and the final report within a day to assist physicians, surgeons and infectious disease specialists,” he said.
Chief executive officer of the hospital Alok Khullar said, “Since the number of patients infected is increasing day-by-day, we are trying to ensure that we have a protocol to provide world-class treatment and excellent clinical outcomes.”