Ghuman (Gurdaspur): For the poor residents of Gagomahal village, falling in the Ajnala Town of Amritsar, have lost their eye sight permanently after being operated in a free eye-camp.
As per media reports, a Jalandhar-based doctor and those of a Mathura-based NGO, SKL Netra Chakitsalya, reportedly performed a cataract operation once every three minutes on the hapless villagers. They then allegedly neglected to administer the mandatory post-operative care on the patients.
This “laxity” meant that out of 49 Gagomahal patients operated on the intervening night of November 4 and 5 at Guru Nanak Hospital here, 11 were partially blinded (from one eye) while officials admit that the toll may go up in the next few days.
Poor infrastructure
Ghuman hospital, which allegedly gave permission to the NGO and Jalandhar-based Dr Vivek Arora (roped in by the NGO with the help of Manjit Joshi of Phagwara), did not have the requisite infrastructure for conducting cataract surgery, a highly sensitive exercise in medical parlance.Ophthalmologic experts claim that a specialised eye operation theatre was required if such surgeries had to be carried out. Besides, proper hygiene needed to be maintained as otherwise there was ever possibility that the patient may be infected. This is precisely what happened to the 11 Gagomahal residents as the hospital neither had an eye operation theatre nor were proper hygienic conditions maintained.
These patients are now recuperating in an Amritsar Hospital. Sources in the hospital claimed that the operations, much against medical norms, were conducted between 9 pm and 12 pm, and that too on a normal operation theater table.
No permission taken
Gurdaspur Civil Surgeon Dr Rajneesh Sood said the operations were performed in a general theatre where conditions to conduct such surgeries were not at all conducive. He said his department had not given any permission to the NGO to conduct operations.Officials at Ghuman hospital claimed they had applied for permission, “but the health department sat on the file”.
Case registered against Mathura and Jalandhar eye hospitals in blinding case
The authorities have registered a case against SKL Eye Hospital, Mathura and Dr. Vivek Arora of the Vidya Eve Centre, Jalandhar in case of Gurdapur blindigs.
Punjab bans holding of health camps without prior approval of civil surgeons
Taking serious note of the unrecognized NGOs holding health camps without informing the administration and the health department causing irreparable health hazards to the people, Health and Family Welfare Minister Punjab Mr. Surjit Kumar Jayani today issued detailed instructions to all the Civil Surgeons of Punjab not to allow such camps that do not have sufficient number of medical specialists to hold such camps.
Meanwhile as Punjab Health Minister Mr. Jayani who is away to Jammu on Election tour brought matter to the notice of Union Health Minister Mr. JP Nadda. Mr. Nadda assuring total support of the Health Ministry to look after patients affected by the Eye camp said that Punjab Health department can refer these patients to AIIMS, New Delhi and PGI, Chandigarh, if required so that world class ophthalmological experts could examine them and see if damage done to the eyes of unfortunate patients could be undone.
Source: TNS