Ambala doctor booked in botched eye surgery case

The district police have booked Dr Charanjit Singh of Sarvkalyan Eye and Charitable Hospital in Ambala for alleged medical negligence in a botched eye surgery case.

Fifteen patients had to be admitted at Chandigarh's Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) last week as they suffered eye infection after cataract removal surgery at the Ambala cantonment's congested Mahesh Nagar locality on 24 November.

A case under sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Mahesh Nagar police station. The accused has not been arrested yet.

Ambala's civil surgeon Dr V K Gupta is the complainant in the case.

According to the police sources, a large stock of post-surgery eye drops past their expiry date, was found and the hospital management would be asked to explain its presence at the health facility.

Sources said that the complainant had alleged that no permission was granted to charitable hospital to hold an eye camp. Due to unhygienic conditions at the hospital it was declared unfit for performing surgeries.

Hindustan Times quoting sub-divisional magistrate Shakti Singh said an official team had thoroughly searched the private charitable hospital and several incriminating things were recovered from the spot.

''Following a report by the Ambala civil surgeon, the district police was approached on Tuesday night to register a criminal case against Dr Charanjit Singh,'' he said.

While 14 patients were brought to PGIMER's advanced eye care centre (AEC) on 26 November after they complained of irritation and blurred vision, one of them was admitted on 27 November.

In a press briefing on Tuesday at Chandigarh, Dr Jagat Ram, who heads the AEC, had said that all 15 were suffering from severe post-operative bacterial eye infection.

''They were put on intraviteral and topical antibiotics. 11 patients were operated upon at PGI. One patient still has severe infection and the chances of his recovery are slim,'' he had said on Tuesday.

15 in Assam lose sight after botched surgeries

The Assam government on Wednesday suspended a senior doctor and a nurse of the MMC hospital in Guwahati after five patients reportedly lost their eyesight following cataract surgeries.

The state health minister Nazrul Islam said that the five patients have been shifted to a private eye hospital in the city for better treatment. He said an inquiry has been ordered to probe the incident.

Out of 15 persons who had undergone cataract operation at the MMC Hospital, which is part of the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, five of them were found to have lost their eyesight when they went back to the hospital for a routine check-up three days later. All the five are elderly persons and one of them is a woman.