Badwani eye surgeries: 'Most patients can't be helped'

It would be difficult to help most of the 45 people, who developed infection after botched up cataract surgery in Badwani in Madhya Pradesh last month, to get their eye-sight back, a team of doctors from AIIMS-New Delhi said here on Sunday.

Most of the patients developed severe infection with pus, so that as many as 40 of them might not get their vision back, AIIMS ophthalmologist Dr. Atul Kumar told reporters here, adding that only 4-5 patients would be able to regain their eyesight.

He said the patients were, however, getting the right treatment now in Indore at MY Hospital and Aurobindo Hospital, where they were referred to in the days following the surgery when they began to report complications.

Atul Kumar said it was possible that contaminated water was used for washing the eyes of patients during the surgeries which were carried out in a medical camp organised by the government in Badwani district from November 16 to 24.

The operation theatre, equipment and drugs used in the surgeries were also the subject of investigation ordered by the state government, he said.

Facing flak, the government has also decided to conduct an infection-audit of operation theatres of all district hospitals.

The public health and family welfare department has directed all its joint directors to conduct the audit.

The team of doctors from AIIMS came here on Sunday on the directions of union Health Minister J.P. Nadda for review and treatment of patients who had developed infection.

Those developing infection belong to a group of 86 who underwent cataract surgery at the medical camp. The botched surgeries came to light after the chief medical and health officer of Badwani submitted a report on the eye camp to the joint director of health services, Indore, on Thursday.

On Friday, the state government suspended Dr. R.S. Palod, under whose guidance the camp was organised, assistant Pradeep Chouksey and staff nurses Leela Verma, Maya Chouhan, Vinita Chouksey and Shabana Mansuri.