Health Department collects samples from eye hospital

A team of two doctors from the District Health and Family Welfare Department collected 14 items for testing from the Charmakki Narayana Shetty Lions (CNSL) Eye Hospital at Kota in Udupi district on Friday.

Eight persons developed infection in their eyes and complained of loss of vision after cataract surgery at the hospital from August 1 to 3. The cause was suspected to be contamination of solution used during surgery.

District Health and Family Welfare Officer Ramachandra Bairy told

The Hindu that the team of doctors included the government microbiologist Renuka and chief of Mobile Ophthalmic Unit of the District Government Hospital Nityananda Nayak. This team had collected 14 items, including lotions, injunctions and gloves from CNSL Hospital, which had been sent for testing at the District Surveillance Laboratory here. The testing procedure would require 48 to 72 hours. A report would be available only on Monday.

Dr. Bairy said that Dr. Nayak had visited Kasturba Hospital in Manipal and Prasad Netralaya in Udupi and spoke to patients admitted there. He had spoken to eye surgeons who treated these patients.

The Department of Health and Family Welfare was preparing a report on the incident and it would be submitting the report to the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat on August 18. A copy of the report would be despatched to the Joint Director of Ophthalmology in Bangalore on Saturday.

The department had issued instructions to the CNSL Eye Hospital not to conduct any cataract operations till the matter was resolved. The department had inspected the operation theatre of the CNSL Eye Hospital, Dr. Bairy said.