HYDERABAD: Opposition Congress members staged a walk-out in the Legislative Council here on Friday when Government turned down their demand to constitute a House Committee to examine the factors that led to eight patients losing eye sight after undergoing cataract surgery at the Government Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital.
Raising the issue during the Question Hour, Leader of the Opposition Md.Ali Shabbir and Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy said Government should take the incident seriously and mere departmental action would not do.
Comprehensive inquiry
The members insisted on a comprehensive inquiry into all aspects to understand the lapses and such an inquiry would also help the government to improve the service in the government hospitals. They also demanded stern action against the negligent doctors, including ban on their practice, to send a stern message.
Health Minister C.Laxma Reddy said eight patients had lost their vision in the operated eye due to infection caused because of contaminated solution used during surgery in August this year.
Action taken
The Government had filed a complaint against the Nagpur-based pharmaceuticals company and departmental action was taken against the doctors. However, he drew the attention of the members that even according to WHO norms .04 per cent of infection was possible but the infection rate was far less in Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital that performed 40,000 to 50,000 surgeries a year.
The incident was unfortunate and the pharmaceutical company that supplied inferior solution was blacklisted and expert treatment was being extended to the affected patients. There was possibility to gain back some vision in the operated eye and they did not turn blind, he said.
Changed tender system
The Health Minister said following the incident government had taken several measures to revamp the healthcare system in government hospitals and had done away with the practice of procuring medicines, equipment and furniture from the contractors who bid the lowest. Now tender system was changed to give priority to quality. As a result strength of patients to government hospitals increased by 20 per cent. Finance Minister Eatela Rajender also said government was giving top priority and funds for health and education in the public sector as it wanted to restore people’s faith in government institutions.
