Black fungus cases continue to remain high in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur
Anantapur: Even four months after the outbreak of black fungus, lack of adequate medicines at the Government General hospital here is causing panic among the patients, and doctors are unable to provide proper treatment. This apart, post–surgery complications are leading to other health issues and even deaths.
Though there has been a steep fall in Covid cases across the state, the mucormycosis cases are causing a worry at the ENT wards. At least 20 black fungus patients were being treated at Anantapur General Hospital.
During the early stage of outbreak of black fungus, scarcity of doses for injections was a problem. The situation has not improved during the four months of the fungal disease spread, sources at the general hospital said.
“A patient needs at least five injections a day till he or she gets recovered. But we are unable to treat them with this prescribed quota of vials,” sources at the ENT wing told DC.
Further, a number of post–surgery complications has been alarmingly high. After recovery, these patients return to hospitals with other health issues.
Many private nursing homes had reportedly used heavy doses of steroids including remdesiver injection on Covid patients during the peak stage of the Covid. This resulted in an increase in the number of black fungus cases.
For instance, a private nursing home had injected at least 10 remdesiver vials on a patient by charging Rs. 1950 per vial in Anantapur and the vigilance team later imposed a fine on the hospital.
A surgeon from the general hospital said the ENT ward continued to treat black fungus cases at the special ward.
Anjineyulu, a former sarpanch from Kundurpi mandal died 10 days after a surgery and treatment at GGH Anantapur. The doctors had removed around one inch of the infected area from his nose and he was discharged in a healthy condition. His family member Nagaraju recalled, “Ten days after the discharge, the patient suffered diarrhoea and other complications at the residence.”
In addition to hospitals at Anantapur and Hindupur, a large number of patients are approaching hospitals in Bengaluru from the border areas of this state in the past two months.
