Black Fungus: 111 cases in Punjab, expert committee to advise on treatment
Premium- Black fungus cases in Punjab: 25 cases have been reported in the government health facilities, whereas the remaining 86 have been reported from private hospitals
Black Fungus in Punjab: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Monday informed that 111 cases of black fungus have been reported from various parts of the state. He said that 25 of these cases have been reported in the government health facilities, whereas the remaining 86 have been reported from private hospitals.
Sidhu also said that these cases were mainly found in the patients who had recently recovered from Covid or were immuno-compromised (suffering from HIV or Cancer etc.) or the patients recovered from Covid with help of steroids/immuno-modulators, patients who were on oxygen support for long time or people having uncontrolled diabetes.
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To treat this disease, the minister said, anti-fungal drugs are required and the supply of these drugs is regulated by the Central Government. "There are two major injections available which are being provided to the states by Union Government. No one can procure these medicines from the open market directly as their distribution is under the sole purview of Government of India," he said.
The state health minister further informed that an expert group of the Punjab government has finalised the treatment protocols and an expert committee has been formed to advice the treating hospitals/physicians as per treatment protocols for black fungus.
Sindhu said that any treating hospital requiring advice on the treatment of this disease can approach the committee through e-mail (mucorpunjab@gmail.com) or mobile (8872090028 - Dr Gagandeep Grover).
"Any hospital requiring Injection Liposomal Amphotericin-B and Injection Amphotericin-B can also approach this committee and injections shall be made available subject to the availability from Government of India since these drugs are regulated by GoI," he said.
The minister, however, said that at present due to restricted supply the committee would examine the requests and ensure that the basic requisite quantity of the medicine is provided to the hospitals which require these injections on priority for treating the patients of black fungus admitted with them.
He said that all patients of this disease will have to be notified by the treating institution/physician as the disease is now a notified disease in Punjab. "Symptoms of black fungus can include facial pain or swelling, stuffy nose or brown nasal discharge, toothache, loose teeth, redness, pain or swelling of the eye, fever, shortness of breath, headache, altered sensorium, double or blurred vision etc. If anyone has any such symptoms, he/she should report to nearest health facility at the earliest," he said.
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