Five die of black fungus in Haryana’s Sirsa

Five people have died due to black fungus in Sirsa district, officials said on Wednesday

Five people have died due to black fungus in Sirsa district, officials said on Wednesday.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the infection has become a matter of concern and directed officials to make necessary arrangements for its treatment. (Shutterstock)

“Mucormycosis or black fungus, which is primarily affecting people recovering from Covid-19, has claimed five lives in district in the last two days,” Sirsa chief medical officer (CMO) Manish Bansal said. He said 25 people from districts adjoining Sirsa were admitted to a hospital, of whom some were referred to other major health facilities.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the infection has become a matter of concern and directed officials to make necessary arrangements for its treatment. He directed that all medical colleges, including PGIMS, Rohtak, be notified for treatment of the disease.

PGIMS, Rohtak has been authorised to treat patients coming from Rohtak, Jind, Mahendergarh and Charkhi Dadri, who are suffering from black fungus.

Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College, Nalhar, Nuh has been authorised to treat patients from Hathin sub-division, Palwal and Gurugram. Bhagat Phool Singh Medical College at Khanpur Kalan in Gohana, Sonepat has been authorised to treat patients from Panipat and Sonepat.

For patients coming from Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad and Bhiwani, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha, Hisar has been authorised and Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, Karnal has been authorised for patients from Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar.

Five more cases of black fungus have been reported at Karnal’s Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday taking the total number of infected persons in district to seven.

As per district health department data, the new patients include a 68-year-old woman of Rajiv Colony in Karnal who was also Covid positive and had died on Tuesday; a 70-year-old woman of Arjun Gate; a 54-year-old woman of Ravidaspur locality in Karnal; a 62-year-old man of Sangohi village; and a 70-year-old man of Assandh.

The doctors said that they were admitted in Covid hospital and were found to be infected with black fungus during screening of Covid patients.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a separate ward with capacity of 20 beds has been set up for patients of mucormycosis or black fungus at the Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College.

As per district health department, the hospital will admit patients with black fungus from Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar districts.

KCGMCH director Dr Jagdish Dureja said the hospital will provide all facilities and treatment for black fungus patients. He said people need not panic as the disease is curable.