Botched-up eye ops hit Kanti Velugu programme

Hyderabad: The botched-up eye operations in a private hospital in Warangal have impacted Kanti Velugu programme across the state. Cataract operations have been put on hold in 113 private hospitals in all districts that were shortlisted by the department. Instructions to this effect were given from the Health department to Kanti Velugu incharges in all districts and the same was communicated to private hospital managements.

This decision was taken in view of cataract operations on 18 patients in Jaya Eye Hospital that went terribly wrong leading to infection of eyes. Authorities shifted the affected patients to LV Prasad Eye Hospital in Hyderabad for further operations and better medical care and majority of them are still on road to recovery. Although the government launched this scheme with much fanfare and according top priority to ensure every single person in Telangana is free from eye-related problems, negligence on the part of stakeholders has pushed the administration to a tight corner. 

With elections due in next two months, the TRS government does not want to take any chances and repetition of similar incidents might do more harm than good. Hence, the decision has been taken to hold operations for the time being under Kanti Velugu programme. “However, eye screenings and free distribution of spectacles for refractive errors are going on like before. Kanti Velugu camps in all districts are functioning usually with public registering themselves and getting eyes tested. For those who are found to have cataract problems, authorities would note down their details and contact them for undergoing operations as and when related directions come from higher ups,” an official supervising Kanti Velugu programme in GHMC limits said.

According to an eye surgeon, pre-operative, operative and post-operative care are very crucial so that patients undergoing cataract operations do not develop any infection. However, in Warangal incident where scores of patients got infection at a time, fingers are being pointed to whether sterilisation was taken care of or was there any problem with saline bottles being used for cleaning.