Telangana: Black fungus patients losing sight

Hyderabad: Mucormycosis (black fungus) is spreading rapidly in the State. Those who recovered from Coronavirus are being infected with it. Around 50 cases of black fungus are being reported daily. About 1,100 patients are under treatment in both government and private hospitals. Most diabets patients are being infected. About 90 per cent of them have been given steroids during treatment.

Daily 20 patients are being treated in both nodal centres in Gandhi and Government ENT Hospital. A total of 350 patients have been operated in these hospitals while the number of patients treated in private hospitals are separate.. Patients having fungal infection in eyes are being treated at S D Eye Hospital. A total of 40 patients have been admitted there.pital; 20 of them under went surgery. Ten per cent of the patients operated have lost sight permanently.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Rajalingam, superintendent, said that "mucormycosis patients suffering from eye problems are being sent here. We have operated 20 patients. Our eye surgeons are going for surgeries to Gandhi and ENT in emergency cases". Ten per cent of patients treated have lost their eyesight", he added.

The reason of losing eyesight is said to be shortage of medicine. The patients are not getting injections on time due to severe shortage of liposomal Amphoterincin B in the market. A patient who has undergone surgery needs minimum ten doses of injection . The State Health department is unable to supply adequate doses to the hospitals. It has instructed the hospitals' managements to send list of doses to the department on a daily basis. Adequate vials will be provided according to calculations. The government is providing the liposomal Amphotericin B totally free to all patients but the department is also not getting adequate supply from manufacturers which worries patients.

As anti fungal injection Amphotericin is available for Rs.4,000-6,000 per vial in the market. The government is providing a non-conventional Amphotericin to hospitals to administrate ten patients which is much cheaper and available easily in the market. Attendants of patients have raised doubts on the non-conventional Amphotericin and are worried about side effects.

Assuring the attendants about alternative injections, the Director of Public Health said that "both injections have same efficiency; only rate is different There is no need to worry about the injections. He added that people have to understand the variation of the cost and not insist on costly one, while both are efficient in treatment".

To curb blackmarketing of Amphotericin, the department has instructed the distributors not to sell injection to patients directly. A distributor said "we are not purchasing medicines as we have restricted to sell.

Meanwhile, the government is starting black fungus treatment in district hospitals, like MGM Hospital, Warangal, Nizamabad government hospital.