Muzaffarpur: Health officials of Muzaffarpur are probing into the alleged medical negligence which led to the loss of eyesight to at least 7 patients who underwent cataract surgeries at a private eye hospital as part of a charity camp.
A three-member committee has been formed by the local health officials which will probe into the incident. They would necessitate action against the doctors, based on the merits.
A senior health official said that as many as 65 patients who attended the charity camp were diagnosed with cataract requiring immediate surgical requirements, and surgeries were performed on them on November 22.
The hospital has removed eyes of seven patients who have complained of pain after cataract surgery. They had told the patients that they do not have any other choice but to remove in order to save the other eye from being infected, the official said.
Additional Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) SP Singh said they have received reports of eyesight loss among patients who underwent free cataract surgeries in the private hospital. "We would provide the best possible care to save the eyesight of six patients who have been admitted to higher hospital in Patna for further care," he added.
Ranjana Kumari, one of the patients, told ETV Bharat, that she was discharged on November 23 after the surgery and has been having severe headache since the operation. "I came to the hospital a day after I was discharged as I could not bear the pain. I was given some medicines. Today, I have come for the review as pain persists. Now, I am being told that my operated eye is infected and it needs to be removed as it might spread to the other eye as well," she says.
Muazaffarpur Civil Surgeon Vinay Sharma said that the three-member committee constituted is seized of the issue. "They will submit a report on the incident in the next couple of days. I have instructed them to check whether there was any professional breach while conducting the cataract surgeries. If medical negligence is made out in the report, stringent action will be taken against those involved," he assured.
Earlier in the day, patients and relatives staged a protest at the hospital premises following which police and health officials intervened. The doctors who reportedly performed the surgeries scooted away from the hospitals soon after the protest was launched. The health officials who held talks with the protestors arranged an ambulance for the six patients and sent them to Patna for further treatment.
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