The government ENT Hospital at Koti has been designated nodal centre for admitting and treating Black Fungus (Mucormycosis) cases. The fungal infection patients who are still COVID positive or may need multidisciplinary treatment, such as those with pulmonary involvement, will be admitted at Gandhi Hospital, Musheerabad.
As some of these cases would need intervention of ophthalmologist, services of specialists from SD Eye Hospital would be used.
Orders to this effect were issued by Telangana’s Director of Medical Education (DME) K. Ramesh Reddy on Saturday. He said that the nodal centre was created based on instructions from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to treat the cases.
The DME noted that some steroids are used as part of COVID-19 treatment, which leads to reduction in immunity levels.
“The patients may be prone to fungal infections due to associated co-morbidities like severe diabetes, and one of these fungal infections is Black Fungus. Few cases are being reported form various parts of the State,” Dr. Ramesh stated.
Drug shortage
The DME has acknowledged the shortage of the drug Liposomal Amphotericin B used in treating these cases, as is the case all over the country. It was published in these columns a few days ago that ENT surgeons and consultants have flagged possible shortage of the anti-fungal medicines as the fungal infection cases are surging.
Dr. Ramesh said that Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMIDC) has initiated steps to procure them.
“There are alternative drugs for treatment of this fungal disease like Posaconazole and Fluconazole, which are also in short supply and steps are being taken to procure them. No one need to get panicky about this and they can approach these hospitals for necessary advise and treatment,” he said.
