At least 27 persons who were operated upon for cataract at the district hospital in Saharanpur of western Uttar Pradesh lost vision, allegedly due to botched surgeries.
After their family members created a ruckus on Tuesday, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Saharanpur Dr. Sanjeev Manglik has constituted a five-member inquiry committee to look into the matter. Some of the patients have been referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) hospital in Chandigarh and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi.
Shagun Bansal, a shopkeeper from Jiwala village of Saharanpur whose mother was operated upon December 2 at the Seth Baldev Das district hospital, said a few days after the operation, instead of relief, swelling and pus developed in her eyes. “When we approached Dr. S Lal, who conducted the operation, he tried to give us some money and asked us not to raise the issue,” he stated in his complaint to the CMO.
Mr. Bansal told The Hindu the infection became so severe that private hospitals in the city refused to treat his mother. “Doctors in Chandigarh told us that if the treatment was delayed she could have lost her life as well,” he noted, adding several other patients from the area have also developed complications post-operation.
Complications
The CMO said around 30 patients have suffered different levels of complications after the operation on December 2 and that he had constituted a panel to look into the reasons. Officials said cataract operations were conducted in batches once or twice a week in the hospital at a minimal cost.
“The complications came to light during the follow-ups. The committee will find out whether the problem emerged because of poor quality of lens, medicines or there was an issue with the sanitisation of the operation theatre. I have asked officials to personally check on all the patients who have been operated upon in the last few weeks,” he observed.
Refuting allegations of bribing the patients, Dr. Manglik said Dr. Lal was a senior and a well-regarded eye surgeon in the medical fraternity of the region.
