16 eye patients could lose vision: Doctors

Chennai

State health officials say that a team from Chennai has landed in those hospitals to monitor the patients’ condition. Two more patients have joined others in the hospitals, and doctors treating all of them are uncertain about restoration of their eyesight.

According to officials, 23 persons approached the Mettur GH for eye surgery a few days ago.

Sixteen of them were admitted in Salem and Coimbatore after they complained of unbearable pain and itching in their eyes.

A few patients went to the same hospital after a couple of days and complained of health complications after which the ophthalmologists examined them and found infection in their eyes. Their relatives protested before the hospital and the doctors later advised them to have a check-up in Salem.

Speaking to DTNext, Dr J Radhakrishnan, State Health Secretary, said that they had sent a medical team headed by Dr. S. Mani from the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) to visit the patients.

“All the patients are stable and we are continuously monitoring them,” he said. On Friday night, Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar visited the patients in Salem and assured them of all possible help and promised that the government would bear the expenditure.

Officials of the State Blindness Control Society are also monitoring the patients’ condition, it is learnt.

Dr Inbasekaran, Joint Director of Health Services (JDHS-in-charge), Salem district, said that they were in search of other patients who had undergone similar surgery.

“We will try to rope in the remaining patients and two more are being admitted in private hospitals as a matter of precaution,” he said. He claimed that all the patients had 70 to 75 per cent vision and doctors were making maximum efforts to restore their vision.