Amid COVID surge, Assam gears up against black fungus after first fatality

From Our Correspondent

GUWAHATI:

Amid concerted efforts to tackle the COVID-19 surge in the state, the Assam government is now gearing up against preventing black fungus infections in the state, in the wake of the death of a person diagnosed with COVID related rhino-cerebral mucormycosis in a private hospital here.

Mucormycosis or black fungus is a complication caused by a fungal infection. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that with the state witnessing the first black fungus related casualty, a medical team is on the job to find out ways to prevent any more infections.

“We have urged the Centre to immediately allot the requisite medicine for treating people infected with black fungus,” Sarma told reporters during a visit to Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital in Barpeta.

The state Health Department has instructed a team of medical experts to study the development related to black fungus in the state.

“For our part, we have taken all necessary steps to prevent any more such infections in the state,” state Health Minister Keshab Mahanta told reporters here.

Mahanta said that the department was keeping a close watch on the situation even as he requested people not to panic as black fungus "is not a communicable disease."

The health minister also had a meeting with the principal secretary, health, senior health officials to discuss the state's preparedness against the infection after the first black fungus-related death was reported from a private hospital.
Confirming the death of the 27-year-old male hailing from Nagaon district in a statement, the hospital authorities informed that “the patient was diagnosed with COVID related rhino-cerebral mucormycosis along with diabetic ketoacidosis and complications leading to multi-organ failure.”

“Despite the best efforts of the clinical team, the patient expired at 6 am on May 19,” the statement issued late Wednesday evening, said.

Meanwhile, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital principal, Achyut Baishya said that there “is no case of any black fungus in GMCH….even if any cases are diagnosed, we have sufficient injections and medicine to treat black fungus…we have the beds, oxygen, manpower and the medicine to treat the condition.”

(Edited by Shankar Kumar Turha)

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