24 infected after botched Kurukshetra surgeries

Vishal Joshi
Tribune News Service
Kurukshetra, March 19

At least 24 patients, including five women, have suffered eye infection following botched cataract surgeries at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Civil Hospital (LNJPCH) here. They have been admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh.

The PGI this evening confirmed that its Advanced Eye Centre had received 24 patients of post-cataract surgery endophthalmitis, inflammation of the interior of the eye, over the past few weeks.

“They were operated upon for cataract surgery at LNJPCH, Kurukshetra. At the AEC, 19 patients have so far been operated upon. All patients are doing well on topical and systemic antibiotics,” the PGIMER release said.

The district health authorities have suspended surgeries at the LNJPCH operation theatre (OT) till Friday.

Civil Surgeon Dr Sukhbir Singh said an investigation was on to ascertain the cause of the infection and fix responsibility. Senior eye surgeon Dr Anita Goyal performed around 100 cataract surgeries between February 27 and March 11, he said.

Balbir Singh, 64, of Nouch village in adjoining Kaithal district was operated upon on March 6. His son Devi Lal said after the surgery, his father complained of irritation in the eye.

“The doctors referred my father to the PGI where another surgery was performed on March 13. They have said the infection was not severe and that my father will gain normal vision in the next few weeks,” said Devi Lal. Medical Superintendent Dr Manjit Singh said the patients who underwent surgery around March 6 suffered bacterial infection from an unknown source. Some patients who were referred and did not belong to the below poverty line category had to pay for the ongoing treatment at the PGI, he added.

“A team of doctors will visit the PGI on Wednesday to assess the situation and further recommend to the state government to either pay the medical bills of such patients directly to the PGI or reimburse them. “We will examine all patients who underwent surgery at the LNJPCH over the past one month to ensure no case of infection goes untreated,” he said.

Dr Goyal, who performed the surgeries at LNJPCH, said the infection might have been caused due to tools or fluids used in the surgeries. It was possible that a bacterial infection might have been present in a patient and was transmitted to others, she said. “The operation theatre was maintained as per the surgery protocol to contain any chance of infection. It is a matter of investigation to pinpoint the cause of the infection,” she added.