Doctors among 11 booked after patients lose vision post cataract surgeries

The Mandal police booked Dr Jaimin Pandey and Dr Danubhai Dodia, who performed the surgeries, operation theatre assistant Bharat Khuman, peon Ranchhod Parmar and trustees of Shri Sevaniketan Trust that ran the hospital – Mani Patel, Narayan Dalwadi, Sankar Patel, Govind Panchal, Bhupendra Bhavsar, Jagdish Patel and Manu Chavda.

“The FIR was filed yesterday. We will report to the HC on Wednesday. The investigation is on,” SP (Ahmedabad Rural) Megha Tevar told The Indian Express.

The complainants in the case are Vashrambhai Bharwad (60), a labourer from Rughnathpura village in Patan district and Shantaben Rathod from Sitapur village in Mandal, who completely lost their vision in one eye.

Bharwad has alleged that unable to see properly, he had gone to Shri Ramanand Eye Hospital for a check-up. There, Pandya and Dodiya told him that he needed a cataract surgery in his right eye.

According to the complaint, Bharwad and 28 others from different parts of the state underwent cataract surgeries on January 10. They were discharged from the hospital and asked to come on January 13 for a follow-up. However, when Bharwad felt loss of vision in his right eye, he went to the hospital on January 12. But he was asked to return the following day.

He alleged that when he returned on January 13, he saw 18 other patients “who had swollen and red eyes”. They were all provided medicines and asked to return on January 15. But as the condition of Bharwad and four others worsened, they were referred to Ahmedabad Government Hospital.

The FIR stated that at the government hospital, Bharwad was told by doctors to get his right eye removed as it was infected. On February 2, he underwent a surgery for the same. Along with him, another patient, Shanta Rathod, also had to get her right eye removed. The FIR added that Shri Ramanand Eye Hospital was being operated by Sevaniketan Trust “despite lack of facilities”.

The accused have been booked under sections 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others by rash and negligent act), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 114 (abettor present when an offence is committed) of the Indian Penal Code.