Goof-up alleged in cataract surgery

VADODARA, JUNE 28: Six patients who underwent surgery for cataract in the Sheth Mangaldas Laxmichand Vaduvala Charitable Eye Hospital in R...

VADODARA, JUNE 28: Six patients who underwent surgery for cataract in the Sheth Mangaldas Laxmichand Vaduvala Charitable Eye Hospital in Raopura on Saturday have allegedly lost their eyesight. Though no police complaint has so far been lodged, the hospital management has instituted an internal inquiry into the incident.

According to officials at the hospital, whose main trustee is former health minister Thakorebhai Patel, a batch of about 35 persons underwent surgery for cataract last week. On Saturday, at least a dozen out of the batch started developing complications and alleged that they could not see properly. Agitated relatives of the patients started abusing the doctors who had carried out the surgery and alleged that the medicos had been erratic while carrying out the cataract operation.

Surprisingly, the hospital management on Sunday discharged all the patients who were reported to have developed the complications. Relatives of the patients alleged that at least six persons had completely lost their eyesight and seven others had become partially blind. “Once the operation was complete, my relative started developing burning sensation in the eye and later she screamed for help claiming that she could not see,” alleged a relative of Sushila Pawar, one of the affected patients.

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Though the hospital management admitted that some patients had developed complications but they denied that they had lost their eyesight. “About a dozen patients have developed complications following infection but, as of now, nobody has lost eyesight,” administrator H.R. Dholakia claimed.

He added that a detailed probe had been ordered into the incident and the medical head of the hospital, Dr Roopa Jain, would head the inquiry. “We have to ascertain as to what caused the infection. We have to find out if it was caused by cross infection or through some other cause,” Dholakia said.