Prof. (Dr.) Jagat Ram, Director, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh and Padam Shri Awardee, released a pictorial booklet ‘COVID19 -Associated Mucormycosis’ to aware the general public about mucormycosis (commonly referred to as black fungus) to prevent the infection of mucormycosis.
Shri Rajesh Bhushan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has written the foreword of the mucormycosis booklet. He appreciated the efforts of PGIMER, Chandigarh and Panjab University Chandigarh for bringing out the educational brochure. He mentioned that this pictorial booklet provides the proper knowledge on COVID19 –associated mucormycosis to enhance the self-care measures in persons affected by COVID19 to protect themselves against mucormycosis.
During the release, Professor Jagat Ram, Director, PGI, mentioned that early identification of mucormycosis infection is key to getting timely treatment and curing the disease. Prof. Ram highlighted that mucormycosis affects people who have health issues that impair their ability to combat pathogens in the environment, including immune-compromised individuals with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, neutropenia, and in people who have taken immunosuppressant for the treatment of blood cancer, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, etc. He added that infection is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another. However, if mucormycosis is left uncared, it may turn fatal.
Shri Kumar Abhay, IAAS and Financial adviser, PGI, also graced the booklet released session. He mentioned that the pictorial booklet provides complex information in simple language, which could be very useful to create awareness and minimize its health impacts.
Mucormycosis pictorial booklet is written and designed by Dr. Ravindra Khaiwal, Additional Professor, Department of Community Medicine & School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh and Dr. Suman Mor, Chairperson and Associate Professor, Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Dr. Suman Mor mentioned that this booklet is designed carefully having the inputs from the well-known subject experts, i.e., Dr. Arunaloke Chakrabarti, Professor and Head- Medical Microbiology, Dr. Naresh Panda, Professor and Head – Otolaryngology, Prof. Ritesh Agarwal, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh; Dr. Suneela Garg, Professor and Head, Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi and Dr. Jagdish Chander, former Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, GMCH-32, Chandigarh.
Dr. Ravindra Khaiwal highlighted that this booklet will create awareness about the early identification of disease & prevention strategies, including guidance on what should be done and & what should not be done for COVID19 -Associated Mucormycosis. The topic covered in the booklet includes the route of transmission, clinical manifestation, complications, management and prevention of COVID19 -Associated Mucormycosis, including challenges and prevention.
