The 14 items, including lotions, gloves and injunctions and 12 swabs, collected from the operation theatre of Charmakki Narayana Shetty Lions (CNSL) Eye Hospital by the District Health and Family Welfare Department for contamination test, have tested negative.
Eight persons developed infection in their eyes and complained of loss of vision after having cataract surgery at the CNSL Eye Hospital from August 1 to 3. The cause of the tragedy was suspected to be contamination of solution used during surgery.
District Health and Family Welfare Officer Ramachandra Bairy told The Hindu on Monday that these items were tested at the District Surveillance Laboratory here. “All the 14 items and the 12 swabs have tested negative for contamination,” he said. Dr. Bairy said that it was expected that the 14 items and 12 swabs would test negative as the operation theatre of the CNSL Hospital was fumigated on August 6 and 7. “The lotions and other items used during the surgery had been discarded (after surgery). Yet our department collected the samples and conducted tests to check if there is any contamination in the samples and the operation theatre,” he said. The department would submit a final report on the matter based on the test reports to the district administration on Tuesday, “We will decide the next step in the consultation with the district administration on Tuesday,” he said.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare received a complaint about infection due to cataract surgery on the evening of August 16, Dr. Bairy said.
