Panchkula: Procedure to constitute board of inquiry begins

Panchkula, November 28

The negligence committee of the Health Department here has started the procedure for constituting a board for conducting an inquiry into the complications caused to two women patients after they were operated on at a charitable eye hospital here.

‘Negligence’ during surgeries at Panchkula eye hospital

The committee has been directed to ask the board to submit its report with regard to negligence during the surgeries to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), General Hospital, Panchkula.

Confirming the development, the CMO, Mukta Kumar, said after receiving complaints from the families of the two victims, she asked the negligence committee to constitute a board and hold an inquiry into the matter. The board would submit its report to her within 10 days.

The two women, who were operated upon on November 2 for cataract, had to be referred to the PGI. Saroj (78), who was operated on in the left eye at “Sewa Hi Sewa” in Panchkula, has lost vision for life. The doctors at the PGI were able to stem the infection in 72-year-old Ram Dulari’s eye.

Meanwhile, Prof SS Pandav, Advanced Eye Centre, PGI, said, “We can’t comment whether it is a botched-up surgery because such infections can happen even after surgery as well if proper care is not taken. The bug enters when there is a break in sterilisation process. It is difficult to trace the reasons as many factors are involved and infection can potentially be passed on from an infected health worker present in the operation theatre on to the equipment used in the theatre.

“There is a big chain of events from surgery to putting drops in the eye after the operation. The management of the operation theatre or hospital supplies should be looked into. We use quality material and protocol so that there is no break in the chain of sterilisation. We do see such cases once in a while where patients are referred to us. One patient is recovering and the other is undergoing treatment as the infection is in an advanced stage.”

Hard to trace reasons for infection: PGI

Prof SS Pandav, Advanced Eye Centre, PGI, says it is difficult to trace the reasons as many factors are involved and infection can potentially be passed on from an infected health worker present in the operation theatre to the equipment used in the theatre.