Bhopal: As cases of mucormycosis or black fungus are rising in India, the Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday set up step-down units in Bhopal for recovered Covid-19 patients where their post-recovery health status will be examined by a team of doctors and nurses. One of these post-Covid-19 care centres was inaugurated by State Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang in the Ashoka Garden area in the old city.

“Those who require a low amount of oxygen will be kept here and will recover under experts’ supervision. Patients who recovered from Covid-19 have reported several complications. This is why these centres have been made," he said. As part of post-Covid-19 care, the patients will be asked to practice yoga and develop a habit of taking a nutritious diet to regain their immunity, said a physician posted at Ashoka Garden centre. At least 50 per cent of the Covid-19 centres established recently in the state will be converted into post-care centres. After being discharged from hospitals, the patients will have to spend few days in these units for speedy and supervised recovery. A team of three physicians and nurses each will examine the health status of all patients in these centres, said the minister.

Meanwhile, a mucormycosis ward with 20 beds established in state-run Hamidia hospital has been fully occupied. Moreover, 50 per cent of 10 beds reserved for non-mucormycosis patients are allotted to black fungus patients. A total of 34 patients are admitted to the hospital in Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 wards. Till date, Indore has reported at least 200 patients with black fungus infection.

Madhya Pradesh on Saturday reported 7,571 new Covid-19 cases and 72 more fatalities that raised the count of infections to 7,24,279 and toll to 6,913, an official from the state health department said. With this, the state’s daily caseload has dropped below 10,000 for the sixth consecutive day. The recoveries outnumbered the infections, as 11,973 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recoveries to 6,17,396 in the state. Indore’s caseload went up to 1,36,391, with the addition of 1,548 new infections, while Bhopal’s tally rose to 1,12,226 after 1,241 persons tested positive.