Radhanpur: 5 Patients Complain of Eye Pain, Redness After Operation, Enter Ahmedabad Civil

Within a month, another incident of surgeries has emerged in Gujarat. In the Mandvi Mandal Hospital in the Ahmedabad district, 21 patients who suffered vision loss after cataract operations were transferred to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for further treatment. Subsequently, a suo moto case was filed in the High Court, which reprimanded the government and health department. However, five more patients from Radhanpur, after cataract operations, were brought to the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on February 7th, following complaints of vision impairment.

Management Status of Patients from Mandal Hospital

It is noteworthy that nine patients from the Mandal Hospital, where previous incidents of surgeries occurred, are currently receiving treatment at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. Furthermore, after cataract operations at Radhanpur Hospital, complaints similar to those in Mandal were filed by five patients, indicating a slight improvement in the condition of patients treated in Radhanpur compared to Mandal.

Complaints of Eye Pain, Redness, and Watering

Further details will be obtained after 48 hours when the investigation report is available through the hospital’s system. Currently, all five patients complain of eye pain, redness, and watering. Primary care for all five patients is being provided at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. They receive IV injections twice daily and undergo sonography of the eyes twice a day for evaluation.

13 Patients Operated on February 3rd

A total of 13 patients underwent operations on February 3rd. Upon complete investigation, it was found that approximately 13 patients underwent cataract surgeries on their eyes at the Sarvodaya Eye Hospital in Radhanpur, Patan district. After two days, following complaints of reduced vision in the eyes of five individuals, they were transferred to Jyoti Hospital in Visnagar. They were provided primary care there, but due to no improvement in their condition, they were brought to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on the night of February 7th. Among the seven patients operated on February 7th, three were men and two were women, with ages ranging from 45 to 80 years.

Doctors Should Engage in Corporate-like Work for a Decent Salary

Just two days ago, the Mandal Hospital incident was highlighted in court, demanding accountability from the government. The court suggested that if the government provides doctors with a corporate-like salary, they should engage in corporate-like work, which they currently don’t. In corporate settings, people work 24×7. It was pointed out in court that if foreign doctors visit the Civil OPD, it adversely affects patient queues and workload. Doctors work from 8 AM to 9:30 PM daily, with just a half-hour lunch break. The court ordered the government to provide more facilities for medical staff, citing the demands made in filed affidavits.

Government’s Eye Opens After the Surgeries Incident

The government provided information about amendments made in the Clinical Establishment Act to the court. After the amendments, it’s now mandatory for hospitals, including trust-managed ones, to register under this Act, subject to its policies and regulations. The court inquired why this incident occurred despite the government’s focus on improving healthcare facilities and infrastructure. So far, no medical staff has faced an FIR. Victims are compensated appropriately. The health department secretary and the Ahmedabad Rural Police Superintendent were served notices by the court, directing them to submit a primary investigation report within two weeks.

12 Patients Lost Sight in Amreli Civil Hospital in 2022

Between November 16, 2022, and November 23, 2022, 12 patients lost their vision after surgery at Amreli Civil Hospital. This incident was concealed. After the matter came to light, an inquiry committee was formed, which submitted a report to the state government, indicating deficiencies in medical facilities, medication, and equipment. Surgical and staff errors were also reported, for which the hospital was fined five million for complete blindness, one million for partial blindness, and two hundred thousand for each patient with complications after treatment, as ordered by the medical college.

Closure of Services at Sadhu Vaswani Hospital, Rajkot in 2015

In Sadhu Vaswani Hospital located at Rajkot’s Junction Plot, medical services were halted for 7 patients on December 19, 2015, due to fatalities and a surgical camp conducted. During this camp, 25 patients were treated, and surgeries were performed on December 21. Rajakbhai Ibrahim also underwent surgery and had stitches removed on December 22. However, he experienced discomfort in his eye on December 22, followed by water discharge from the eye. Subsequently, seven other patients faced similar conditions, leading to panic among patients and their families, resulting in a chaotic situation at the hospital. Overall, seven individuals lost vision in one eye post-surgery.