Patient rush continues, hooch patients face vision impairment

As the SCB Medical College and Hospital here struggles to deal with a stream of victims of spurious liquor, the doctors treating them face a new challenge of treating them for vision impairment.

At least six patients, reeling under the liquor tragedy, were yesterday shifted to the ophthalmic department after recovering from intoxication, hospital sources said.

"We are now facing the new challenge of vision impairment among the recovered persons," hospital emergency officer Dr B N Moharana said.

All these patients have been shifted to the eye ward.

The hospital till now has received 109 patients, afflicted by the killer brew, of whom 30 have succumbed to the intoxication, while the remaining 79 are under treatment here.

"While three of them are in very critical condition and undergoing treatment in ICU and six are in eye ward, others are being treated in two special wards set up for any emergency...," Moharana said.

He said though nothing could be said about the very critical patients, it will take another seven days to speculate about chances of recovery of the patients who are not so critical.

"Similarly, another 15 patients who had consumed liquor from the same joint more than a week ago and were brought here yesterday would be kept under observation for the next 48 hours," Moharana said.