Govt hospitals lack facilities to treat black fungus patients
A week after the post-covid outpatient department (OPD) got operational at the MMG District Hospital in Ghaziabad, eight cases of black fungus (mucormycosis) have been detected so far. However, all the patients have been referred to the Meerut Medical College as the government hospitals in Ghaziabad do not have the adequate infrastructure to treat such patients, health officials said.
According to the officials, the Meerut division, comprising Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts, have a total of 179 cases of the fungal infection. At present, Ghaziabad has 28 black fungus patients who are getting treatment at different private medical facilities, the officials said.
“In the last one week, we have had eight patients diagnosed with black fungus at the post-covid OPD. All of them were referred to Meerut. Most of the patients are in the age group of 40 years and above, and having moderate complications. About 15 patients visit the post-covid OPD daily,” said Dr Anurag Bhargava, chief medical superintendent of MMG hospital.
However, the facility falls short of adequate infrastructure for black fungus disease. “We are relying on visual observation and also blood tests of patients. Two tests -biopsy and MRI of brain -- are conducted for detection of mucormycosis. But both the tests are not available here. So, we refer patients to Meerut Medical College,” Bhargava added.
The fungus is stated to affect sinus, eyes and even brain where it can turn fatal.
Officials of the district health department said that for detection of the fungus, they rely on two types of tests that include CT scan of paranasal sinuses (CT-PNS) and MRI of brain.
“The CT-PNS test is available at our Sanjay Nagar government hospital, while we do not have facility of brain MRI. It can be done at private healthcare facilities. Black fungus patients are referred to Meerut Medical College as the treatment facility for black fungus patients is only available there. Also, stock of Amphotericin injections (drug of choice for treating black fungus) is sent there by the state officials,” said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer, Ghaziabad.
Experts taking up treatment of such patients in private health-care facilities said that government should upgrade the infrastructure at their hospitals. “For proper detection, nasal endoscope is used as the infection cannot be visible unless it spreads out of nose. We then take up culture test which tells us the type of fungus and then we perform histopathological examination to know about the extent of invasion. MRI of brain helps in cases where we have suspicion that the infection has gone to the brain,” said Dr BP Tyagi, senior ENT specialist at Harsh ENT Hospital, Raj Nagar District Centre.
The private hospital has a list of 38 patients who are taking up or have taken the treatment for the fungus.
“In case, the government facilities refer patients to us, we will give free treatment to them provided the government provides us Amphotericin injections for free. The drug is in short supply and hardly available,” Tyagi added.
A divisional health department official familiar with the development admitted that the black fungus injections are in short supply. “We have a stock of 150 injections and it is expected that more stock will arrive by Thursday night. The Meerut division has 179 cases of black fungus that include 28 active patients in Ghaziabad,” the official said while requesting anonymity.