Cataract Surgery Patients Suffer Vision Loss, Govt Orders Probe

New Delhi: At least seven individuals have reported partial or complete vision loss following cataract surgery at Sarvodaya Eye Hospital in Radhanpur town, Patan district, Gujarat. The surgeries, conducted on February 2, led to complications for these patients, attributed to infections, according to hospital trustee Bharti Vakharia. Of the 13 patients who underwent surgery, five were transferred to the M and J Institute Of Ophthalmology at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, while two were moved to a hospital in Visnagar town, Mehsana district. Responding to the incident, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel assured reporters that a committee has been formed by the Health and Family Welfare department to investigate the matter thoroughly.

"This was the second such incident in the state within a month," Minister Patel highlighted, referencing a similar occurrence on January 10, where 17 individuals suffered vision loss due to infection after cataract surgery at a trust-run hospital in Mandal village, Ahmedabad district.

However, Vakharia defended the hospital's procedures, stating that seven of the 13 patients returned with eye infections three days after the operation, but the culture report of their operation theatre was normal, suggesting no fault on their part. Government doctors have since visited the hospital and collected samples for further investigation.

Meanwhile, doctors at the Ahmedabad eye hospital reported that the five patients admitted there experienced blurry vision, along with other side effects such as watery eyes and red spots, post-surgery.

"All five patients have developed blurry vision and other side effects after their cataract surgery in Patan. Treatment is ongoing," remarked Dr. Umang Mishra, Resident Medical Officer.

The incident has raised concerns about the safety and quality of healthcare services provided by trust-run hospitals in the state, prompting calls for stricter oversight and accountability measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.