GUWAHATI, May 20: Amid intensive efforts to tackle the second wave of the coronavirus, the Assam government is now gearing up against preventing black fungus after the state reported its first fatality from the infection.
A 27-year-old man died after being diagnosed with COVID related rhino-cerebral mucormycosis in a private hospital here on Wednesday.
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 the 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.
“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 the health department was closely monitoring situation even as he appealed to 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 person 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.”
“In spite of the best efforts of the clinical team, the patient expired at 6am on May 19,” the statement issued late Wednesday evening, said.
Meanwhile, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) principal, Achyut Baishya allayed fears in regard to the infection, saying that there “is no case of any black fungus in GMCH.
“We have sufficient injections and medicine to treat black fungus even if cases arise,” the GMCH principal said.
