An ophthalmologist left a young woman battling for life in Jharkhand’s Koderma district on Thursday night after he attempted surgery to remove a tumour from her stomach, a procedure he was not qualified to perform.
The family of 29-year-old Chandni Parveen said a contractual eye doctor with the state health department cut open her stomach at a private nursing home in Jhumri-Tilaya town and re-stitched it an hour later saying he was confused and unable to complete the operation.
“He offered to bear our treatment expenses and asked us to keep quiet. We didn’t take his offer and rushed Chandni to Ranchi,” husband Nasim Khan said.
Majid Alam, director of the Ranchi hospital where Chandni was being treated now, was unaware that an ophthalmologist operated upon her. “The stomach was opened and re-stitched. Damage to some portions was causing pain to the patient. The tumour was removed successfully here. It had affected both ovaries of the patient.”
The doctor had charged Rs 8,000 for the surgery, her husband said. “We were tricked by touts who presented him as a surgeon. On Monday, he removed my brother’s inflamed appendix for Rs 12,000.”
{{/usCountry}}The doctor had charged Rs 8,000 for the surgery, her husband said. “We were tricked by touts who presented him as a surgeon. On Monday, he removed my brother’s inflamed appendix for Rs 12,000.”
{{/usCountry}}Police said eye doctor Ram Prakash Sharma has a history of botched surgeries but no action could be taken because victims haven’t filed any formal complaint.
Last year, he was in trouble for a uterus operation that went wrong but the case was hushed up.
Sharma rubbished the allegations. "I am a qualified doctor and have a specialization in surgery from the Kanpur medical college. There are some who want to defame me," Sharma told journalists.
Sources said Sharma was posted at Garhwa district but lived in Koderma and worked at the nursing home.
“Sharma has been missing from duty since mid-January. I have informed the health department about his absenteeism,” said Garhwa civil surgeon RJP Singh.
The health department will initiate a probe against Sharma and the nursing home. “An FIR will be filed against Sharma and the nursing home if needed,” said health services director-in-chief Sumant Mishra.