MUMBAI: Mucormycosis deaths in Maharashtra have climbed to 1,000 and infections have crossed 8,900, according to recent data released by the state.
Tthere have been 1,014 deaths due to the fungal infection since it was made a notifiable disease on May 25. Maharashtra has recorded 8,920 cases of mucormycosis, of which 4,357 have recovered. Although there has been a slowdown in new cases, 3,395 people continue to be under treatment.
The highest number of deaths have been reported from Pune (178), followed by Mumbai (129) and Nagpur (118). Currently, Pune also has the highest number of people undergoing treatment for mucormycosis. Civic officials said that at least a third of the admissions in Mumbai have been of residents from outside the city.
Importantly, 154 mucormycosis patients took discharge from hospitals against medical advice. State officials said that many patients walked away from treatment when they were informed about the cost or the need to undergo palate or eye removal surgeries. Such instances were mainly reported from private hospitals where the cost of treatment could stretch beyond Rs 10lakh to Rs 15lakh.
