Andhra Pradesh government on Monday ordered the Nellore district administration to book cases against the management of a private eye hospital after ten people lost their vision following a botched up free-cataract surgery.
Fifteen others who underwent similar operations have been admitted to Shankar Netralaya and other hospitals at Chennai.
A five-member team has been formed to probe into the issue. District authorities have also dispatched a team of doctors to collect swabs from the patients.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah rang up the district collector K Ramgopal and directed him to book criminal cases against the Bollineni Eye Hospital and Research Centre, Nellore.
He also directed the collector to provide Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to each victim so that they could seek corrective treatment.
Sources said the Global Eye Foundation affiliated to Bollineni Eye Hospital had conducted eye check-up camps in the district and identified 30 people for surgery. These people were operated on October 20.
Soon after, 10 patients complained of loss of vision. They were brought to Bollineni hospital and after initial treatment referred to Shankar Nethralaya.
{{/usCountry}}Soon after, 10 patients complained of loss of vision. They were brought to Bollineni hospital and after initial treatment referred to Shankar Nethralaya.
{{/usCountry}}Many victims urged the government to arrest the doctors for negligence. The hospital, however, denied any negligence. “There could be several reasons for the infection and we will know the facts after testing of the swabs...,” N. Sai Murali, chief ophthalmologist at the hospital, said.