Botched Cataract Surgery; 16 Lose Vision

A botched eye surgery camp leaves 15 without vision in Ambala.

Anil Vij with one the victims of the botched eye surgery in Ambala. (Photo: Twitter)

At least 16 people suffered partial vision loss after undergoing cataract surgery at a charitable hospital in Ambala on Tuesday.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij has ordered a departmental probe into the incident.

Ambala Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Vinod Kumar Gupta said the charitable society ‘Sarv Kalyan Sewarth Samithi’ at Maheshnagar conducted the cataract operation on 16 patients on November 24.

The society had no mandatory clearance from us to hold the camp. They had applied for permission in 2013, but it was denied by us as we first wanted to conduct an inspection of the hospital and get details of the surgeons who will conduct operations. However, without permission they conducted the camp. Our team had raided the hospital, but it is locked. Case had been registered in this connection by the police regarding negligence on the complaint of the SMO.

Dr Vinod Kumar Gupta, Ambala SMO

Dr Gupta said these societies hold such camps as they get huge incentive amounting to Rs 1,000 per person operated upon.

He said most of the patients have now contacted PGI at Chandigarh for further treatment of their eyes.

Sources at PGI said the condition of the eyes of the patients who were operated upon is bad.