Some victims of Odisha hooch tragedy may go blind

Doctors at the Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack who are treating a majority of the Odisha hooch tragedy victims now fear that some of the affected patients may lose vision.

The hospital’s Emergency Officer, Dr Bhubananada Maharana, confirmed on Friday that six of the admitted patients had been shifted to the eye ward of the hospital after they developed signs of complications in their eyes.

“We have shifted six patients to the eye ward and their conditions are being strictly monitored,” he said.

“Some of the victims losing their eyesight cannot be ruled out. In fact, some of the them have already developed complications in their eyes,” a doctor attending on the patients at the special ward exclusively opened for the hooch tragedy victims said.

Earlier, on Friday morning the hospital authorities registered a police complaint after 15 of the admitted patients fled from the health centre going against the medical advice. “These 15 victims have been demanding since Thursday that they should be released as they are feeling better.

We had advised them to remain in the hospital at least for the next 48 hours. However, this morning they went missing. We have informed the police about the development,” Dr Maharana said.

The Cuttack-based Government Health Centre is currently taking care of a majority of the victims hit by the recent liquor tragedy in two coastal districts of Cuttack and Khurda in the state.

Meanwhile, the Odisha High Court has sent a notice to the state government to furnish a detailed report on the tragedy.
DH News Service

The court served the notice while responding to a public interest litigation.