16 patients lose vision after free eye surgery in Tamil Nadu

Salem: In what appears to be yet another botched-free eye surgery, 16 patients including 12 women aged above 45 years, who underwent free cataract surgery at the government hospital at Mettur in Salem district, have lost their vision.

“The affected patients have been admitted to private hospitals for treatment. In Tamil Nadu, six lakh free eye surgeries are being performed every year. We do not know how this problem arose. It is really shocking. We are looking into whether the medicine administered to the patients were wrong or if there was an issue with the operation theatre,” the state health secretary, J. Radhakrishnan told DC. Samples of the medicines given to the 16 patients have been sent to the lab in Chennai for exam.

“The doctors who performed the surgery at the Mettur government hospital are being questioned,” the joint director of health service, Dr M.R. Inbasekaran said.

Every month, at least 25,000 free surgeries are performed in hospitals in Salem.