Chg: Probe into eye-camp after 15 patients develop infection

All these patients have been admitted at the MGM eye hospital here.

"A probe has been ordered into the eye operation camp and stringent action will be taken against those who are found guilty," Health Minister Amar Agrawal told reporters here after visiting the infected patients.

He also assured the state government will bear the entire expenditure for medical treatment of these patients.

Senior health official and eye expert Dr Subhash Mishra has been asked to investigate the matter and submit a report to the government within 10 days.

According to health officials, nearly 145 persons had undergone the surgery in a camp organised by a social organisation, Shree Krishna Agrawal Memorial Trust at the Community Health Centre at Bagbahra, over 100 kms from Raipur.

The camp was held on December 9 and 10 where in Dr Charu Dutt Kalamkar and Amrita Mukherjee from the Trust and Dr PC Patra from the state government, performed eye surgeries.

Following this, about 15 patients including 8 women developed swelling and pus in the operated eye after which they were rushed in MGM hospital Raipur, officials said.

Doctors attending these patients have confirmed, the eye sight condition of nine of them was precarious.

"All the 15 patients are continuously being observed and pus has been removed from eyes of nine of them," Satyavrat Devbrat, MGM hospital administrator told PTI.

He, however, was uncertain over the recovery of their eye sight.

On the remaining six patients, retina surgeries have been performed on three of them while three others are under continuous observation, Devbrat said.

Raising the issue, main opposition Congress alleged medical services in the state have completely deteriorated.

Congress Chief Nand Kumar Patel said wayward medical services in the state have earlier claimed the eyesight of over 45 persons in Balod.

They have also demanded compensation of 10 lakh for each victim.