Woman succumbs to Black Fungus in city

Amphotericin-B can be indented online by Private Hospitals through KPME portal https://kpme.karnataka.gov.in/ 

Mysore/Mysuru: A 55-year-old woman has become the latest victim to Black Fungus or mucormycosis. She breathed her last on May 18 at K.R. Hospital. 

According to Dr. Chethan Kumar, who is the Resident Medical Officer of the State-run hospital, Mahalakshmi (name changed), a resident of the city was admitted to the hospital on May 14 after being tested COVID positive. While admitting her to the hospital, the doctors had observed that her nose had turned black and there was swelling in her eyes. 

She was put under medication and her blood-sugar level was high. She was being treated at Kantharaj Ward and though medicines were administered, she did not respond to the treatment and passed away on May 18, Dr. Chethan said. 

Meanwhile, giving credence to the spread of Black Fungus even in rural pockets — although not in a rapid pace like COVID — a suspected mucormycosis case has been reported from T. Narasipur where a person from Talakad who is being treated for COVID has shown signs of Black Fungus. 

Confirming this to reporters, Taluk Health Officer Dr. Ravikumar told reporters that though no Black Fungus cases have been reported in T. Narasipur so far, the person from Talakad, who is in the hospital since the last 20 days, has shown signs of mucormycosis infection, he added. 

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers D.V. Sadananda Gowda yesterday said that the Centre has been proactive in preparing to fight Black Fungus. “Karnataka has been reporting the disease only in the last three days and demand for medicines has gone up. Mylan Labs is importing Amphotericin-B that is used in black fungal infection treatment, while five others are manufacturing it in India,” he said. 

“By May-end, we will have 1.63 lakh vials. So far, Karnataka has received 1,660 vials in batches of 600, 450, 300 and 310 vials each. We will provide more supplies on May 22 when 40,000 vials, imported by Mylan Labs, will arrive in India,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan, who is also in charge of medicine supplies related to Covid-19, said Amphotericin-B and other antifungal medicines can now be indented online by Private Hospitals through the KPME portal [https://kpme.karnataka.gov.in/].