Govt bearing expenses of patients of botched eye surgeries:Min

The responsibility for care of the patients, who developed serious complications after eye operations at a private institute at Panipat earlier this month, has been taken by the state government by bearing all the expenses of their treatment at PGIMER here.
Informing this in the state Assembly here today, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said that looking at the seriousness of the incident where 18 out of 19 patients operated in an eye camp held in Panipat developed infection, a magisterial enquiry had already been ordered by Deputy Commissioner, Panipat.
A team including CMO Panipat, two Government eye surgeons and one Government microbiologist has investigated the matter and based on enquiry the responsibility has been fixed on eye surgeon Dr Ankur Gupta, and the eye camp organiser 'Samaj Sewa Samiti', Samalkha Panipat.

In his reply to the Calling Attention motion moved by Congress MLA Kuldeep Sharma, Vij further said that after the investigation "it had been concluded that it was a case of medical negligence where the doctor and the organizer (the Samiti) were responsible".
"Hence, an FIR had been lodged against office bearers of Samaj Sewa Samiti, Samalkha Panipat, Management of Navjeevan hospital Panipat and Dr Ankur Gupta, along with his supporting staff of Navjeevan hospital, Panipat," Vij told the House.
He said that 18 out of 19 patients operated developed severe infection in the eye and were admitted in Advanced Eye Centre, PGI Chandigarh where they are still under treatment.

The House was informed that NGO Samaj Sewa Samiti has been running since about 1987 and was never registered with District Blindness Control Society (DBCS), Panipat.
The NGO also has never ever taken any permission to hold eye camps, it was further informed.
The Health Minister said that the State and district authorities would ensure that the guidelines pertaining to eye camps are followed strictly.