New Delhi: After successfully combating the COVID-19 second wave with an impressive recovery rate of 97.4 percent, the cases of black fungus, despite being very few in numbers, have prompted the Yogi Adityanath Government to issue warnings and put doctors on a high alert.
“A few cases of this fatal disease have been found among recovered COVID-19 patients. The Department of Health and Medical Education should ensure that every patient with black fungus receives appropriate treatment,” said the Chief Minister while addressing a high-level meeting on Thursday.
He also instructed the officials to ensure adequate availability of medicines required to treat black fungus in every district. “Under no circumstances should there be black marketing of these drugs,” said the CM.
The CM also directed the officials to develop a separate facility and reserve a few beds in every hospital for the treatment of black fungus.
12-Member CAM Team
To overcome the challenges posed by the increased cases of black fungus, the UP Government has already formed a 12-member COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) management team of SGPGI.
The team will be responsible for:
– Forming Rapid Response Teams (RRTs)
– Making treatment protocol
– Ensuring availability of medicines and database of cases
– Creation of more teams in state medical colleges and hospitals
– Sensitisation of healthcare workers for early diagnosis and management of cases as per ICMR guidelines
– Making recommendations to reduce panic among public and health care workers
The government believes that by increasing surveillance on patients with black fungus, it can be controlled quickly. CM also stated that detailed reports regarding prevention, precautions, and treatment should be submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office regularly.
The members of the team of experts include:
– Nodal Officer Dr. Amir Kesari (Neuro-otology) and members:
– Prof Alok Nath (HoD, Pulmonary Medicine)
– Prof Shantanu Pandey (CVTS)
– Prof Vikas Kannojia (Ophthalmology)
– Prog Rungmie Marak (Microbiology)
– Dr. Subhash Yadav (Endocrinology)
– Dr. Arun Srivastava (Neurosurgery)
– Dr. Pawan Kumar Verma (Neurosurgery)
– Dr. Sujit Kumar Gautam (Anesthesiology)
– Dr. Chetna Shamsheri (Anesthesiology)
– Dr. Vinita Mani (Neurosurgery)
– Dr. Kuldeep Vishwakarma (Maxillofacial surgery).
Earlier, the Yogi Government had also conducted the training of health personnel engaged in the treatment of black fungus.
CM Yogi In Continuous Touch With Patients
CM Yogi, who is safeguarding 24 crore people of his state from the second and third waves of COVID-19, is making all the possible efforts to eradicate black fungus disease. In between all sorts of pressure, he is keeping a check on patients via phone call.
Not only the CM has made strong preparations for combating mucormycosis but also has instructed his officials to keep a check on the health of patients suffering from post-COVID diseases and their families through CM Helpline and ICCC.
Urging the doctors to stay continuously in touch with the patients, CM said, “I should not receive any kind of complaint regarding lack of treatment or medicines. Make sure patients get top-class treatment.”
CM Yogi urged the people not to panic as medical equipment, medicines and injections are available in every district for the treatment of this deadly disease.
Instructing the officials, CM said, “Make sure adequate amounts of Amphotericin-B injection and two other tablets prescribed by experts are present in every district to treat the patients.”
UP Fully Prepared Under CM Yogi
The Yogi Government has also prepared itself to deal with other diseases that occur mainly during the rainy season due to contamination of water and mosquitoes, especially in the Purvanchal area of Uttar Pradesh.
In this regard, CM Yogi has directed to carry out cleanliness, sanitisation, and fogging drives regularly to rid the region of the threat of water and mosquito-borne diseases during the upcoming rainy season.
Concerned over post-COVID-19 problems, CM has directed to set up post-COVID centres in every district of the state as soon as possible with the deployment of doctors.
About Black Fungus
‘Black Fungus’ also known as mucormycosis has very deadly effects. The Central Government in an advisory stated that the fungal infection affects people who are on medication as it reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens.
Diabetes, prolonged consumption of steroids and prolonged ICU stay are the major risk factors for this disease. Some of the symptoms of this rare disease include pain, swelling/redness around the eyes and nose, fever, headache, cough, shortness of breath and bloody vomits.
Patients who are recovered with COVID-19, high on steroids, received Immunosuppressive therapy, or were in ICU for a long time, and patients with uncontrolled diabetes are at high risk of suffering from Black Fungus.
