State HRD Minister Jagarnath Mahto, who had to undergo lung transplant in Chennai following a Covid-induced fibrosis, is hospitalised once again in the Tamil Nadu capital after developing an infection on his chest wall, doctors from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Healthcare said on Saturday.
Mahto, who was staying in Chennai after getting discharged from the hospital on February 8, complained of discomfort and pain in his chest last week, said the Co-Director, Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at MGM Healthcare, Dr. Suresh Rao.
“He has developed an infection on his chest wall. We have collected a sample of the infection for culture and the minister has been kept under observation,” said Dr. Rao, adding that Mahto’s condition was stable, and his transplanted lungs were functioning fine.
Mahto, who tested positive for Covid-19 on September 28, underwent treatment in different hospitals for four months. Soon after testing positive, he was admitted to state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
He was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspecialty Hospital in the state capital on October 1 and put on non-invasive ventilation. The 54-year-old MLA from Dumri was put on a life support system called Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for around three weeks in Chennai before he underwent a lung transplant surgery on November 10.
Dr. Rao, who was a member of the team that transplanted Mahto’s lung at MGM on November 10, on Saturday said that such infections occur in some patients after undergoing lung transplant surgery, and therefore they must take utmost precautions.
“We have been administering antibiotics to him (Mahto). The culture test report will give us a clearer picture on the gravity of the situation,” said Rao.
Despite being declared fit to travel and lead a normal life, the minister did not attend the Budget Session in the Jharkhand Assembly in person as a precautionary measure. Doctors suggested him to avoid crowded places and public interaction for a few weeks as a relapse could have proved fatal.
Mahto, a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA, is a first-time minister in the State cabinet. Before being detected with Covid-19, he had taken important decisions related to relaxations in school fees during the lockdown period. Mahto had also assured better payment to para teachers in the state and became the first ever Education Minister in Jharkhand to gift cars to board exam toppers.