VIMSAR reserves 30 beds for patients

SAMBALPUR: In view of the rising incidences of mucormycosis or black fungus in the State, authorities of Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla have decided to designate 30 beds entirely for the treatment of patients affected by the disease in three departments of the hospital. 

Director of VIMSAR, Dr Lalit Meher said  10 beds each in the ENT, Opthalmology and medicine departments of the hospital will be dedicated to the treatment of black fungus patients. “Separate beds will help in ensuring smooth treatment and proper care of the patients who will be admitted on the basis of the complication of their cases,” added Meher. Currently, 10 mucormycosis patients are undergoing treatment at the ENT department of hospital and their condition is stable with three undergoing surgery for debridement of the fungal mass. 

Superintendent of VIMSAR, Dr Lal Mohan Nayak said most of the mucormycosis patients show signs of nasal tract and ophthalmic tract involvement and general medicinal complications. The dedicated beds will enable multidisciplinary treatment and easier mucormycosis directed therapy. It will also help in preventing any superadded hospital acquired infection in them as most of the patients have severe immune-suppression. However, the hospital is still facing shortage of Amphotericin-B injection, which is life saving for the treatment of mucormycosis. 

“The injections are not available in abundance but we are receiving them from time to time along with looking for other sources to procure them. We will likely get adequate stocks by next week and have written to the government in this regard,” added Nayak. Sources said, the hospital had received 70 injections last week and those have already been administered. Although no confirmed deaths due to the infection has been reported in VIMSAR, a suspected mucormycosis patient had died in the hospital recently.