5 black fungus deaths in Haryana
ROHTAK/KARNAL: Two persons died of mucormycosis (black fungus) in Jhajjar; one succumbed at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak; and two others died at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College and Hospital in Karnal.
Jhajjar is the worst-hit district in Haryana in terms of death rate as six of 12 black fungus patients have died so far.
Jhajjar civil surgeon Dr Sanjay Dahiya said, “One of the patients from Jhajjar had hypertension and the other was overweight. We are trying to ascertain the cause of these deaths.”
Dr Jagdish Dureja, director of KCGMCH, said 11 Covid patients who tested positive for black fungus have died in the hospital so far.
Bahadurgarh private hospital authorities refused to share information about how many vials were required per day to the patients and how many they received.
‘Black fungus bigger challenge than Covid’
PGIMS, Rohtak and Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha (MAMC) have witnessed a sharp rise in black fungus cases and decrease in Covid patients.
PGIMS has total 153 Covid patients and 123 black fungus patients undergoing treatment, while MAMC has 104 Covid patients and 84 black fungus patients.
Dr Geetika Duggal, director of MAMC, said black fungus patients are increasing gradually. They have been waiting for liposomal amphotericin-B injection.
“We have not received a single dose of liposomal amphotericin-B injection today and the treatment is being affected. Doctors have performed surgeries today. Due to dedicated efforts of medical staff and availability of oxygen cylinders and medicines, we managed to save lives of Covid patients but black fungus is a bigger challenge now,” she said.
“A black fungus patient, with an average weight of 70kg, needs 6-7 vials of amphotericin-B per day. I have sent the prescription before the expert committee and am hoping that we will get the vials by late evening so that our work won’t suffer,” she added.
JHAJJAR IS THE WORST-HIT DISTRICT IN HARYANA IN TERMS OF DEATH RATE AS SIX OF THE 12 BLACK FUNGUS PATIENTS HAVE SUCCUMBED
Covid cases decreasing
PGIMS medical superintendent Dr Pushpa Dahiya said Covid patients are decreasing while black fungus cases are soaring.
“Patients from across state are coming in and we cannot refuse them treatment. We performed successful surgeries of five black fungus patients today. Still, there is a shortage of drugs and patients are receiving less vials than prescribed,” she added.
One of the state expert committee members, Dr RS Chauhan, head of ophthalmology at PGIMS, said there is shortage of drugs across country and Agroha Medical College will get its share of vials by Saturday morning.