Sanitation Worker In Bhiwandi Dies Due To Black Fungus, Cases On Rise In Maharashtra

Deepika Ghadge, a 44-year-old sanitation worker, died of Mucormycosis (Black fungus) in the Bhiwandi city of Maharashtra on Tuesday. Reportedly, this is the first death due to the disease in Bhiwandi since the beginning of the pandemic last year.

A worker of the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC), Deepika, was admitted to Thane Civil Hospital on June 11, as she had reported having symptoms of the disease.

On June 12, she was shifted to Sir JJ Hospital in Mumbai. However, her condition deteriorated, and she had to be moved to St. Georges Hospital on June 15. She passed away the same day.

KR Kharat, medical health officer, BNCMC, said to Hindustan Times, "We are yet to receive all her reports. Only after checking reports, we can ascertain if she was suffering from Covid previously or some other ailment at the time of admission."

Deepika is survived by her husband and two children. According to statistics released by Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, over 6,500 contract workers in sanitation have been working throughout the pandemic without safety gear such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits.

Black Fungus Cases In Maharashtra

Maharashtra remains one of the states with the highest number of Black Fungus infections. As per the state health department, on Sunday, its count of Black fungus cases reached 7,395. Out of these, 644 of the infected people have died.

Due to the rising cases of Mucormycosis or 'black fungus', the Union health ministry had last month said the availability of Amphotericin-B, the key drug to treat the deadly disease, is now being increased and the ministry is in touch with five additional manufacturers.

Also read: As Black Fungus Cases Reach 400-Mark, Bihar Scrambles For Beds And Medicines