Based on the preliminary probe initiated into the tragic incident that left at least 16 persons blinded at an eye camp in Gurdaspur in Punjab, a case has been registered against a Mathura-based hospital and the surgeons.
The police have detained the organiser of the camp, Manjit Joshi, for questioning. The charitable eye camp was organised by Guru Nanak Dev Charitable Trust about a week ago.
About 60 eye surgeries were carried out by private doctors and sixteen patients, all senior citizens, hailing from Ajnala town of Amritsar were operated and have lost their eye sight permanently. The incident came to light after these patients approached the Deputy Commissioner for justice a couple of days ago.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to each of the patients who had lost their sight in these botched up surgeries.The Punjab government on Friday also banned holding any such health camp without prior approval of the civil surgeons.
Taking serious note of the unrecognised NGOs holding health camps without informing the administration and the health department, Health and Family Welfare Minister Punjab Surjit Kumar Jayani issued detailed instructions to all the civil surgeons in Punjab on safety and regulations during such camps.
Jayani brought the matter to the notice of Union Health Minister JP Nadda. Nadda who sought a report on the incident has assured support of the Health Ministry and said these patients can be referred to AIIMS, New Delhi and PGI, Chandigarh.
“It was unfortunate that such NGOs were playing with the lives of innocent people and this practice has to be checked strictly,”Jayani said.
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