LOSE SIGHT AFTER CATARACT

LOSE SIGHT AFTER CATARACT

Four persons, including one woman, lost their vision after undergoing cataract surgery at the taluk government hospital at Kunnamkulam, apparently due to infection.The victims are  Vijayalakshmi, 64, of Guruvayur, Kuttappan, 75, of Kunnamkulam, Rajan, 51, of Kecheri, and Balan of Thrissur.  The first three  were admitted to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital and  Balan to a private hospital in Angamali.According to authorities, about 12 people underwent cataract surgery at the government hospital between July 22 and August 12, who were discharged  a day after the surgery. However, four of them came back to the hospital about a week later when their loss of vision was detected.  “Going by the medical records, the patients began losing their vision between a period of eight and 22  days after the surgery. There will be no full recovery of their vision, though experts in the ophthalmology department are trying their best to restore it,’’ said Dr. Balagopal, hospital superintendent.Meanwhile, the relatives of the patients admitted to the Medical College Hospital alleged that the patients lost their eyesight due to negligence of doctors and demanded action.

District Medical Officer Dr V.V. Venus directed the taluk hospital superintendent  Dr Saj Paul to submit a report in this regard. “The swabs collected from the hospital were sent to the lab in the Medical College Hospital for microbiological tests to ascertain whether the infection had occurred during the surgery, and action would be taken based on its result,’’  the DMO said and added  that they were yet to confirm the exact cause of the tragedy.Dr. Saj Paul said fungal infection would have resulted in the loss of sight.  “Not all those who had undergone cataract operations here suffered infection. We have sent samples of the materials used in surgery for testing  and to another lab for cross-testing and action would be taken against  Dr.Pradeep, who performed the surgeries,  based on the results,’’  he said.

                                 Prof. John Kurakar