The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Hospital in Tiruchi barred from performing cataract surgery

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Sunday, Nov 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Hospital in Tiruchi barred from performing cataract surgery

S. Ganesan

Move follows vision problems caused to about 65 persons

TIRUCHI: The State government has barred all units of Joseph Eye Hospital, Tiruchi, from performing cataract surgeries under the National Programme of Control of Blindness, for a year.

The move follows vision problems caused to about 65 persons, who underwent cataract surgery at the hospital’s satellite unit at Perambalur in July this year.

The patients were identified at a special eye camp conducted by the hospital in association with the District Blindness Control Society in Kaduvanur village in Sankarapuram taluk of Villupuram district on July 28.

The incident kicked up a furore with many of the affected persons being admitted to Joseph Eye Hospital here and the district headquarters hospital at Villupuram complaining of pain and loss of vision.

The State government subsequently gave a compensation of Rs.1 lakh each to 65 patients, who lost vision in one of their operated eyes.

Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj, when contacted, confirmed the ban and said it would apply to cataract surgeries done by the hospital under the National Programme of Control of Blindness in all districts of Tamil Nadu. The State Health Department, in a recent order, had asked all Collectors to cancel the permission granted to the hospital for conducting eye camps under the programme.

The department had also recommended action against M/s. Baxter (India) Private Limited, which manufactured the Ringer Lactate solution used for the surgeries at the Perambalur hospital. It had recommended to the Director of Drug Control to initiate action under the Drug Control Act.

The report of the Micro Biology Department of the K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College had found that the Ringer Lactate solution was contaminated. An inquiry conducted by a team of doctors led by N. Balasubramanian, Dean-cum-Special Officer, Government Medical College, Perambalur, had concluded that the contaminated solution and the air contamination in the operation theatre of the hospital at Perambalur could be the reasons for the infection, which caused blindness among the patients.

The Project Director of the State Blindness Control Society, who inspected the hospitals at Tiruchi and Perambalur along with Health Department officials, had found that the Perambalur hospital was not accredited to perform eye surgeries. Its post-operative ward needed improvements.

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