At least 13 villagers in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada have suffered severe eye infections, with many at risk of being blinded, after botched cataract surgeries at a govt hospital on October 18 and October 22. Preliminary probe indicates the surgeries were carried out in unhygienic conditions, the operation theatre was not sanitised, and there was fungus on the walls, said sources.
The patients were brought to Raipur with pus oozing from their eyes. Some were operated upon. Health minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal on Sunday suspended eye surgeon Dr Geeta Netam, assistant officer Dipti Toppo and staff nurse Mamta Vaid. The district hospital superintendent was issued a show-cause notice.
The probe team is also looking into allegations that Dr Netam did not inform seniors in the department about the first patient who reported an infection and referred him, on her own, to Dr Ambedkar Hospital in Raipur five-six days ago. She carried out another round of cataract surgeries on Oct 22, following which nine more cases of infection came to light, officials said. According to sources, Dr Netam performed 19 surgeries on Oct 22 and 20 four days later to meet targets set by National Health Mission. Dantewada collector Mayank Chaturvedi told TOI that as soon as the case came to light, the administration traced around 90 patients who had undergone cataract surgeries recently, and 13 of them were found infected, needing proper treatment at Raipur (460km away).