Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Hyderabad botch up: Kin of victims demand compensation
HYDERABAD: Distressed family members of patients who lost vision in one eye after undergoing cataract surgery at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Mehdipatnam in July last year, staged a protest near Telangana Secretariat on Sunday demanding compensation. Earlier on Saturday, they had staged a protest near Health minister C Laxma Reddy’s home in Jubilee Hills. As many as four out of 13 patients had lost vision in one eye after the unfortunate incident.
Swetha Rao, daughter of one of the victims, who took part in the protest on Sunday, said: “After retiring as Engineer, my father used to take up field visits to earn livelihood. He used to stay in Dhanbad, Jharkhand and came to Hyderabad to undergo cataract surgery at the SD Eye Hospital. However, after losing the vision, he is not able to take up the field works. We want compensation so that he can take care of himself,” Swetha demanded.
Chinna Raju, son of another victim Nookalathalli, explained how life has become difficult for his mother. “My mother used to work as farmer at Narsipatnam in Visakhapatnam. After the surgery, she is not able to work any more. Now she is completely dependent on others to get through a day, even to fetch water. Since she is living at our home town, our relatives help her. But we don’t know how long can they help us,” said Chinna Raju. He said that living would be easy for his mother if a compensation is provided.
Another victim Anji Reddy’s son-in-law M Jitender Reddy, an advocate, said they will continue the protest. Anji reddy too had to stop farming after he lost his eyesight. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s Trade Union state secretary Y Narendra, who organised the protest, said that representations were submitted to officials in the State Health department to provide compensation to victims.
When a routine operation led to bacterial infection
On July 30, 2016, 13 patients were operated for cataract at the SD Eye Hospital’s Operation Theatre-II. The next day unit chief of the OT-II suspected infection (Endophtalmitis) in the 13 patients. They were taken to the OT again and retina specialists took up the treatment. Swab samples were sent for microbiology tests. In a report submitted by the Medical and Health department, it was stated that culture reports of Ringer Lactate solution sent for tests showed growth of ‘Klebsiella bacteria’. Though doctors at the hospital claimed that some of the patients were responding to treatment and they might regain vision partially, it clearly did not work in case of PC Mandal (56), Nagalakshmi (26), Nookalathalli(59), and Anji Reddy (75).