NBMCH 'regional hub' for black fungus case management- Nine Covid patients die

SNS, SILIGUR 25 MAY 21 : The North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) will be a 'regional hub' for management of recalcitrant mucormycosis cases, along with the IPGMER & SSKM Hospital in Kolkata as the 'apex hub' in the state.

The BS Medical College and Hospital will be another 'regional hub'. An order issued by the state health and family welfare department says that a multidisciplinary team should be constituted with microbiologist/pathologist/radio diagnosis expert, internal medicine specialist /intensivist, ENT specialist, specialist neurologist-(if available), ophthalmologist dental surgeon, surgeon (Maxillo facial/ Plastic) endocrinologist (if available).

"The IPGMER & SSKM Hospital will be the apex hub and the North Bengal Medical College Hospital and BS Medical College Hospital will be regional hubs for the management of recalcitrant mucormycosis cases," the order reads.

"All patients of mucormycosis are to be managed at all Medical Colleges/District Hospitals, as the case may be," says.

It may be mentioned here that a 50-year-old woman of Siliguri had undergone surgery at the NBMCH yesterday after she was tested positive for mucormycosis or black fungus. NBMCH sources said she was now in the Critical Care Unit and that she was stable.

On mucormycosis, the health department further said in the order that a crash capacity building and orientation for 'this erstwhile rare disease entity should be carried out at institutional/district level immediately." The state government has already constituted a state level technical advisory group with Prof Bibhuti Saha, head of the department of tropical medicine School of Tropical Medicine as the chairperson for the guidance for a comprehensive response. The order mentions that muconnycosisis notifiable and any such case confirmed and suspected should be reported to the district health authorities (the deputy chief medical officer of health-II).

Meanwhile, the department has also published a 'Mucormycosis Management Protocol.

Dip In Siliguri Covid cases; 512 in Darjeeling

The Siliguri Municipal Corporation area, including the 14 wards that fall in Jalpaiguri district, witnessed a declining trend of new Covid-19 cases for the second consecutive day today. I However, Darjeeling district as a whole witnessed rising number of cases.

The corporation area counted 176 cases, while the district recorded 512 cases. A total of 140 cases were reported in Matigara Block, 84 in Naxalbari, 38 in Mirik, 34 in Kharibari, 24 in Sukna, 20 in Darjeeling Municipality, 13 in Bijanbari, eight in Kurseong Municipality, seven in Phansidewa, five in Sukhia Pokhari and two cases in Takdah, sources said.

Meanwhile, 337 Covid patients recovered in the last 24 hours in the district.

Nine Covid patients die

Around nine persons, who had tested positive for Covid-19, died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in the past 24 hours, sources said.