E-Paper
Botched cataract surgery affects vision of 5 people in Kangra
The matter came to light when the five patients, mostly older people, were admitted to Rotary Eye Hospital at Palampur after developing an infection.
At least five people’s eyesights were affected after having undergone cataract surgeries at Dr Rajendera Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) in Kangra of Himachal Pradesh, the latest incident to highlight the state of medical treatment in the country.
All the patients, hailing from various parts of Kangra district, had undergone the surgery at RPGMC on December 15. The matter came to light when the five patients, mostly older people, were admitted to Rotary Eye Hospital at Palampur after developing an infection.
Two of them were operated by retinal experts at Rotary Eye Hospital while three, whose retina has been severely damaged, have been shifted to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh.
Doctors at the Rotary Eye Hospital said one of the patients admitted at PGIMER was recovering well while two have shown no signs of recovery and have been kept under observation.
Himachal health minister Kaul Singh Thakur said he had sought a detailed report from the RPGMC authorities in the matter.
Thousands of people undergo cataract surgery in charity-run camps and government hospitals every year. The operations are generally considered to be low risk and easy to perform, but such incidents are not uncommon in India.
In 2015, seven people from the Nurpur subdivision of Kangra district reported partial blindness after cataract surgeries in March during a free eye camp at a private clinic in Pathankot, Punjab.
