The Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Hubballi, the premiere healthcare institution in north Karnataka where a special medical team has been constituted to oversee cases of black fungus (mucormycosis), has so far treated 170 cases of the disease, of which 135 are active cases.
According to the information by Director of KIMS Ramalingappa Antaratani, a team of doctors from private hospitals too has joined hands with KIMS and with their assistance so far, surgeries had been conducted on 116 patients of mucormycosis and preparations were on to conduct surgeries on 40 more.
Apart from patients from Dharwad district, those from Belagavi, Gadag, Haveri, Bagalkot, Davangere, and Uttara Kannada districts are being treated at KIMS for black fungus.
Of the 116 surgeries, 106 were related to the E&T Department of the hospital and 10 from the Ophthalmology Department. Another 40 patients are awaiting maxillofacial surgery. Out of the 170 black fungus patients who were treated at KIMS, eight have died due to related complications, Dr. Ramalingappa has said.
He said that the government had arranged supply of requisite medicine for the treatment of black fungus.
“As the E&T Department of the hospital has just 60 beds, arrangements have been made to utilise available beds in other departments of the hospital to ensure treatment to the patients. While an experts’ team has been constituted to treat black fungus patients, a study committee too has been constituted to submit a detailed report,” Dr. Ramalingappa said.
According to Deputy Medical Superintendent Rajashekhar Dyaberi, the patients affected by the disease suffer from swelling in the eyes and have problem in eye movement.
“There are possibilities of patients losing eyesight. As many as 46 patients admitted at KIMS had eye-related problems and 22 have lost their eyesight. When black fungus spreads to the brain through the eyes, they are removed to save the lives of the patients. Specialist doctor Laxmi is conducting eye surgeries. Required drugs are also administered thrice in a day to check spread of the infection,” he said.
Head of the E&T Department and surgeon Ravindra Gadag said that it was difficult to operate on diabetic patients with renal problems.
However with the help of anaesthetists all surgeries had been conducted successfully. To reduce the burden on the KIMS doctors, the Deputy Commissioner had been requested to arrange to get the patients admitted to respective district hospitals after the surgery, Dr Gadag said.
