37 Cases Of Mucormycosis Treated In A Short Span By The Mucormycosis Task Force At Gleneagles Global Health City

Chennai, 10th August, 2021: Gleneagles Global Health City (GGHC), a leading multi-specialty center in Chennai, has successfully treated 37 cases of Post-Covid Mucormycosis at a short span. Being the pioneers in setting up a Mucormycosis Task Force, which came into place in June 2021, the 27 member team has now saved lives of 37 patients due to the havoc caused during the 2nd wave.

With rapid rise in incidence and increase in death rates (50% mortality rate), Mucormycosis was declared an epidemic and a notifiable disease to the National Health Authorities. Seeing this spike, GGHC had setup a task force to manage black fungus cases that were coming in from Chennai as well as neighboring states and other parts of Tamil Nadu. The multidisciplinary ‘Mucormycosis Task Force‘ in GGHC involves ENT, Ophthalmic surgeons, Dental surgeons, Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Neurosurgeon, Neurologist, Plastic surgeons, Radiologists, Anaesthetists, Microbiologists and Pathologists for the comprehensive management.

Prof. Dr. A. Muraleedharan, Head – Senior Consultant, ENT Department & Dr Sangeetha T.S., Consultant – ENT Department Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai said “This aggressive disease that has emerged as a post-covid complication following the 2nd wave has also been observed in patients from the age of 30+ years who were asymptomatic and home quarantined without any comorbidities. The speed of its progression from sinuses to the adjacent organs like eyes and palate is very rapid, leaving behind the treating team a very narrow window period of 24 hours from presentation of symptoms to diagnosis followed by surgical (complete debridement of paranasal sinuses) and medical management. Seeking timely medical intervention is the only way that this condition can be controlled and treated to avoid morbidity and mortality.”

Dr. Subramanian Swaminathan, Director – Infectious Diseases & Infection Control, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai commented, “Awareness among the post-covid patients, independent of age and immune status, about the warning symptoms in nose, sinuses, eyes and tooth/palate, will prompt early presentation to the specialists concerned, thus facilitating early diagnosis which helps in the prognosis of the disease. Nose block, blood stained nasal secretions, brownish or blackish nasal discharge, headache, facial pain, eye pain, swelling around the eye, redness and watering of the eyes, double vision or reduced vision, tooth ache, loosening of the tooth, blackish discoloration of the oral mucosa, numbness in the face, etc. in the post-covid period should alarm the patients to seek medical advice. Over and all, early diagnosis and prompt surgical with medical management are the key factors in the successful management of this life threatening aggressive devastating disease.”

Adding further, Dr. Nigel Peter Symss, Senior Consultant – Neurosurgery, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai, said, “Mucormycosis, commonly known as Black Fungus, is a rapidly spreading virus that affects the nervous system while attaching onto the nasal passage. Timely intervention can stop further spread into the brain. Rate of survival once the fungus spreads to the brain is very minimal. We have seen cases where the patient loses sensation due to this fungus making it a very challenging case.”

Speaking about the milestone, Dr. Alok Khullar, CEO, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai said, “Handling the extremely severe mucormycosis cases by the task force was challenging as well as fruitful as we have successfully treated 37 patients so far. The dedication and grit shown by the doctors while handling this disease must give hope to patients as well. This was all made possible because of the efforts of the team along with the world-class infrastructure available at the hospital.”

About Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai:

Gleneagles Global Health City at Perumbakkam, Chennai is one of India’s most renowned multi-organ transplant centre. It’s also one of the top tertiary care multi-speciality hospitals in the city with path-breaking Liver, Neuro, Heart, Lung and Kidney procedures to its credit and legacy. The NABH, NABL and NABB accredited hospital operates 200+ beds. A modern CathLab, 13 operation theatres, advanced imaging services (Trubeam STX, Slice PET CT and Tesla MRI) offer cutting edge emergency and critical care management following internationally approved clinical protocols.

Over 10 years of clinical excellence has earned the hospital tie-ups with all major cashless health insurance players and is the preferred choice hospital by all major corporates in the city. The hospital is an international medical destination for thousands of patients in India, Middle East, Africa and SAARC nations. The hospital also offers VideoConsult services to its patients in India and abroad.

Gleneagles Global Health City is a part of IHH Healthcare, one of the world’s largest healthcare providers. With its full spectrum of integrated services, dedicated people, reach and scale, and commitment to quality and safety, IHH aspires to be the world’s most trusted healthcare services network, united by a single purpose: to touch lives and transform care. More information on Gleneagles Global Health City can be found at hospital website

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Akriti Gupta | 8754940305 | [email protected]

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