A 60-year-old man from Warje-Malwadi in Pune passed away on Saturday after being admitted to Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) for treatment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder. The patient, who had been undergoing treatment since January 16 after displaying symptoms of acute gastroenteritis, succumbed to his ailments around 12:30 pm on Friday. He was known to have hypertension and had been placed on a ventilator in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). Health officials reported that the cause of death was respiratory failure, quadriplegia, autonomic dysfunction, and GBS complications.
This death brings the total number of suspected GBS-related fatalities in Maharashtra to five. Additionally, health officials reported nine new suspected cases, bringing the total to 149. Of these, 124 have been confirmed as GBS cases. Currently, 31 patients are receiving oxygen support, while 28 others are on ventilators, according to Dr. Babita Kamlapurkar, Joint Director of Health Services in Maharashtra.
The majority of GBS cases are from the Pune district, including 29 from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), 82 from newly affected villages in the PMC area, and several others from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Pune rural, and other districts.
Earlier this week, Pune district saw two suspected GBS deaths: a 36-year-old man from Pimple Gurav and another 60-year-old from DSK Vishwa in Dhayari. Local authorities have responded to the situation by setting up a mobile clinic for gastroenteritis patients in the affected areas. As of now, 80 patients have received treatment at the mobile clinic.
To support GBS patients, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is providing free treatment at Kamla Nehru Hospital. The cost of diagnostic nerve conduction velocity tests for GBS will also be covered by PMC. For patients discharged from the hospital, physiotherapy services have been arranged at Laigude Hospital to aid in their recovery.
Dr. Nina Borade, health chief of PMC, assured that efforts are being made to manage the situation effectively, including the continuous monitoring of suspected GBS cases in the region.
The rise in GBS cases in Pune and Maharashtra has raised concern among health officials, who continue to investigate potential causes and work toward preventing further spread of the condition
Sources By Agencies