NHRC notice to MP govt over 'botched up' cataract surgeries in Indore hospital

The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government over reports of alleged botched up cataract surgeries at an eye hospital in Indore, leading to loss of vision for four out of 15 patients operated upon.

The victims also include a doctor, who went for cataract surgery at this hospital on August 5.

"The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report about alleged botched up cataract surgeries leading to loss of vision in a number of patients at Indore Eye Hospital," the NHRC said in a statement on Thursday.

Reportedly, four persons out of 15 who underwent cataract surgery at this hospital have lost eyesight.

The Commission has issued a notice to the chief secretary of the Madhya Pradesh government seeking a detailed report in four weeks.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, amount to gross violation of human rights of the victim patients.

"Losing eyesight not only makes a person handicapped but also puts the victim under tremendous stress and mental agony. The reported incidents indicate towards something terribly wrong at the particular hospital which is immediately required to be addressed so that more people do not suffer," the statement said.

It has further observed that it is extremely necessary for the state and district administration to immediately look into the grievance and take effective action against the medical team purported to have acted in a "negligent manner" causing such "irrevocable loss" to the victims, and to provide relief and rehabilitation to them, it said.