Bengaluru: Ms Sujatha D.K., a resident of Agara near Horamavu, was a tailor. The 42-year-old was finding it difficult to put the thread through the needle and decided to undergo a corrective eye surgery at Minto Hospital in Bengaluru. But after the surgery and after her eye pads were taken off, she has not been able to see anything at all.
“I have gone through hell since then. Yesterday, (Monday) I got a call from Minto Hospital authorities, saying they will give me a compensation of `3 lakh, and that I should take my Adhaar card, bank passbook and other documents to collect the compensation. But I clearly told them that I would not go to them and collect the amount,” an angry Sujatha told Deccan Chronicle.
Till the surgery, Ms Sujatha said, she was an independent woman, dropped her children to school on her scooter and earned Rs 25,000 per month through her tailoring work. But now, she is handicapped. “What will I do with Rs 3 lakh compensation? This is injustice, and no one should go through this. The guilty, whether it’s doctors or pharmaceutical company, should be punished,” she said.
Ms Sujatha is not the only one. The anger is palpable among the 15 such victims who have lost their eyesight after the surgery.
No one bothered about them till now, even though the victims had complained to the police, principal secretary to the medical education department and District Health Officer (DHO). When the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) intervened on the issue and allegedly assaulted a woman trainee doctor, the issue is being twisted only to hush up the major issue, the victims said.
Ms Sujatha said that no one can see her right eye now. “It has become very small. Doctors at Narayana Nethralaya said they cannot operate as the damage to the eye is extensive, while Shankara Hospital doctors conducted a surgery,” she said.
Rajanna, Channabasanna and Puttananjamma got their one eye operated, but lost sight in both eyes. Another victim, Mirja, has spent `70,000 on corrective surgeries at Shankara Hospital, but has not yet got his sight back.
“Minto Hospital authorities refuse to give discharge summaries,” said Mr Bhaskar, Ms Sujatha’s husband.
Suparna, the only daughter of Shivabasavaiah – a mechanic who lost his left eye, asked what he will do with `3 lakh compensation. “He ran into debts while conducting my marriage. Now, I have come home for delivery and he has not gone to work for the last six months. Can anyone imagine our plight,” she asked.
Sharadamma, a 64-y-ear old maid, cannot close her right eye after the surgery as the stitches are obstructing her eyelids. “Can you imagine keeping your eyes open day and night? Minto Hospital authorities have been telling us that the operation theatre has been busy for the last many months and they can’t remove the sutures. Is this human? Is there no one to hear our cries,” asked Ms Veena, her daughter.
Mr Manjappa, a farmer from Karadihalli near Arasikere, said that he saw the rising sun from his farm every day. “After many years, we have got good rains. But I cannot even see my farm as I cannot open my eyes in the sun. I am 53 years old and forced to sit at home,” he repented.
