Doctors in Uttar Pradesh to receive online training to treat black fungus in COVID patients

Doctors in Uttar Pradesh will be given online training in the treatment of black fungus. The Uttar Pradesh government has directed authorities to immediately connect all medical colleges, chief medical officers (CMOs) and other physicians involved in treatment with Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) to facilitate necessary medical training for them.

The concerned officials to coordinate with the advisory committee of state-level health experts immediately to formulate and release the necessary guidelines for its treatment. To overcome the challenges posed by the rising number of black fungus cases, the state government has formed a 12-member COVID-19 associated with the mucormycosis (CAM) management team of SGPGI.

The team will be responsible for forming Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), making treatment protocol, ensuring availability of medicines and database of cases, creation of more teams in state medical colleges and hospitals, sensitization of healthcare workers for early diagnosis and management of cases as per ICMR guidelines, as well as making recommendations to reduce panic among public and health care workers.

The high-risk groups for black fungus are COVID-19 patients, patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM), Type 2 DM patients on high steroid therapy, patients receiving Immuno-suppressive therapy and patients in ICU for a long time, on oxygen therapy and with high ferritin. The Yogi Adityanath government has directed officials to proactively engage in the efforts to fight black fungus so as to prevent it from acquiring serious proportions in the state in the future. It has said that the availability of essential medicines must be ensured, noting that arrangements should be made for both prevention and treatment of the disease.