Black fungus: 90 surgeries performed at KIMS

HUBBALLI: Doctors at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Science (KIMS) in Hubballi have performed more than 90 surgeries on patients infected with mucormycosis (black fungus) in the last three weeks — the highest in the region. 

Patients infected with mucormycosis from the district and severely-ill patients from neighbouring districts are currently being treated at KIMS. In the second wave of Covid-19, 147 black fungus patients have been admitted to KIMS so far of which 18 have been discharged and 8 patients have died. About 120 patients are still being treated at the hospital. In addition to this, KIMS is seeing 4 to 5 new admissions each day.

KIMS Director Dr Ramalingappa Antaratani said, “We have a team of experts to treat such cases. No other institute or hospital has performed so many surgeries.”  In the beginning, the hospital faced shortage of Amphotericin-B, the drug used to treat patients suffering from black fungus. The government, however, allowed usage of other drugs to treat the infection and now, the hospital has enough stock of the medicines required. 

Dr Raveendra Gadag, head of ENT Department, KIMS, said most of the patients require surgery. “In endoscopic surgery, we remove the damaged part and treat the patients. Apart from the regular medicines, surgery will help patients to recover fast. Eighteen patients have been discharged. A few have been undergoing treatment at the hospital  for the last four weeks,” he added.