Botched cataract surgeries: FIR against hospital officials

A First Information Report was registered on Thursday against two officials of a private hospital here after 15 patients lost vision in one eye due to infection after undergoing cataract surgeries.

On a complaint filed by Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia, FIR was registered against director of Indore Netra Chikitsalaya Sudhir Mahashabde, and hospital's medical superintendent Suhas Bande.

The case was registered at Chhatripura police station under section 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The FIR, based on the report of a three-member inquiy committee set up by the district administration, noted that four patients who underwent the surgery at the hospital on August 5 complained of swelling in the affected eye the next day.

Still, further eye surgeries were conducted on 14 more patients on August 8 without ensuring that there would not be any infection, which was a "criminal negligence", said the FIR.

Santosh Yadav, in-charge of Chhatripura police station, said investigation has begun, but none of the accused have been arrested yet.

According to health department officials, 15 patients who underwent cataract surgeries at Indore Netra Chikitsalaya on August 5 and August 8 developed a fatal bacterial infection and lost vision in the eye that had been operated upon.