1 officer suspended, two served notices in Madhya Pradesh for botched cataract surgeries

11 people complained of vision loss days after undergoing cataract surgeries at a hospital in Indore on August 8.

An officer of district blindness control society was suspended while show-cause notices were issued to two other health department officials on Sunday a day after 11 patients complained of vision loss days after undergoing cataract surgeries at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore on August 8. The state health department earlier revoked the licence granted to the hospital on Saturday.

A trust runs the hospital but a camp for cataract surgeries was organised following permission from the health department, said a district health official. (ANI)

Officials said Dr TS Hora was suspended for dereliction of duty. They added show-cause notices were issued to medical health officers of Indore and Dhar districts. Some of the patients belong to Dhar district. Indore division commissioner Akash Tripathi said the administration is also looking into the hospital records on operations performed there in July and August.

“We have got information that some other patients who underwent surgeries at the hospital on August 5 had also complained about vision loss,” he said. “It is a serious matter. If there were complaints from some patients on August 5, there should have been no operations on August 8 without looking into the reasons as to why the patients operated upon August 5 had lost their vision.” He said a three-member committee comprising an additional district magistrate and two doctors were inquiring into the matter. “If the hospital is found guilty, we will recommend cancellation of the lease of the government land allotted to the hospital.”

Tripathi said at least four patients, who lost their vision, have undergone corrective surgeries. State health minister Tulasiram Silavat promised stern action against those found guilty. A trust runs the hospital but a camp for cataract surgeries was organised following permission from the health department, said a district health official.

The hospital’s MD, Sudhir Mahashabde, refused to comment when asked about the action taken against the hospital.