Cataract surgeries in private referral hosps put on hold

​Hyderabad: Cataract operations in private hospitals, under Kanti Velugu, are yet to resume even though eye screenings crossed one crore mark in December first week. While severe problems like Glaucoma are being referred to Sarojini Devi and LV Prasad eye hospitals, cataract surgeries in the private referral hospitals have been put on hold since October first week.

It may be mentioned here that cataract surgeries in a private hospital in Warangal in last week of September went terribly wrong leading to infection in eyes of 18 patients. Health department soon swung into action and shifted the affected to LV Prasad hospital in Hyderabad for corrective surgeries and better medical care.

The hospital and district administration faced flak as these operations were done under Kanti Velugu scheme. As a caretaker government was in place at that time, the top brass in the health department gave instructions to Kanti Velugu incharges in all districts to put on hold cataract surgeries in 113 private hospitals and the same was communicated to private hospital managements. Health department thought of revisiting facilities in these private hospitals including checking proper sterilisation methods that are key to controlling the spread of infection among operated patients. 

Then a new list would be prepared among the 113 hospitals, after which cataract operations would resume. However, inspections could not take place due to administration and government staff were preoccupied in election duties for the last few weeks. According to a nodal officer in a district, KV camps are being conducted as usual except for cataract surgeries. “Eye screenings are being done every day. People found to have near vision are being given reading glasses while those with a distant vision are being given pointed spectacles after putting the order.

Patients having a severe problem like Glaucoma or Pterygium are being referred to tertiary hospitals like Sarojini Devi and LV Prasad. However, cataract surgeries have been put on hold for last months,” the official said. However, contact details (including phone numbers) of persons, who require cataract surgeries, are being recorded so that they could be contacted to undergo operations once inspection teams finalise the new referral hospitals list, authorities said. 

Meanwhile, eye surgeons from a private hospital in the State capital stated that they stopped doing cataract surgeries, under Kanti Velugu, since October first week. No fresh instructions have come from the department to resume operations and so the wait continues, they said.