Nellore, October 26: As many as 12 patients who underwent cataract operations partially lost their vision, allegedly due to the negligence of the doctors at the Bollineni Hospitals here.
According to sources, 15 of the 30 patients operated on in the hospital on October 20, developed infection.
Following protests from the kin of the affected, the hospital management sent 12 of them to Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, and two to a private hospital in Vijayawada, while a woman, I Nagabhushanamma, was admitted, at her request, to the District Hospital here.
An eye camp was conducted by the Global Eye Foundation attached to the city-based Bollineni Hospitals at Gangapatnam in Indukurpet Mandal on October 18. Patients from various localities, including Sramik Nagar, Bodigani Thota, Moolapeta and other areas in the city, were examined at the camp. Of the 70 patients screened by a four-member team of doctors, including director of Bollineni Hospitals V Saikumar, 30 were found to require surgery. They were operated upon the next day at the Bollineni Hospitals here. However, 15 of them complained of severe pain and watering in the eye, along with headache.
Dr MV Ramana Reddy, one of the doctors who operated at the Bollineni Hospitals, denied any negligence on their part.
“We took all precautions and yet they developed infection,” he maintained.
According to sources, four of the 12 patients referred to Sankara Netrayala, Chennai, had to have the eye removed as the infection was life-threatening. They are Eswariah (Dekkali), Khadar Basha (Gangapatnam), S Kondamma (Sramik Nagar) and K Polamma (Bodigani Thota).
And there is no chance of the remaining six still in the Chennai hospital, as also the two who returned to Nellore, regaining vision: A Anand, SK Jani Basha, V Subbamma, Mumtaz Begam, Masthanamma, SK Nisar, SK Ghousia and M Venkaiah.
The condition of the two patients sent to Vijayawada, Y Masthanamma and Khader Basha, is stated to be serious.
Meanwhile, the relatives of the patients demonstrated before the hospital here, demanding action against the hospital management.
Faiz, son of Khader Basha, said they would intensify their protest till the hospital was booked for negligence.
Meanwhile, District Collector K Ramgopal directed a senior doctor of the Government Hospital, Manjula, to submit a report to him on the incident.
He asked her to visit the Chennai hospital to find out the condition of the patients.
—Agencies