At least 13 senior citizens reportedly lost eyesight due to infection after undergoing cataract surgery at a private nursing home in Odisha's Angul. The doctors who treated them afterward were not confident about their complete recovery, Odisha-based media reports said.
The private nursing home was reportedly sealed by the Angul district administration in the light of the incident. District Collector Abdaal M. Akhtar has directed the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) to investigate and submit a report.
The patients who underwent surgery at the said facility were all residents of Odisha'sAngul, Banarpal and Athamallik areas. They were all rushed to Burla's Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) for advanced treatment after developing similar symptoms a day after undergoing the surgery, Odisha TV said in a report. While 11 have been discharged, two remain under treatment, it said. The two remaining hospitalized needed further surgeries.
Pain and headache were the common symptoms reported by all 13 patients who developed "severe eye infections" following the cataract removal procedure, the media report said. The victims said that they felt nothing unusual after the surgery but felt uneasiness immediately after the bandage was removed to apply eye drops, they reportedly told the media. The pain intensified over the hours and they lost vision within a day.
All of them lost vision in the eye that was operated while the other remained unaffected.
Doctors at VIMSAR were not certain if the vision could be completely restored. All discharged patients have been asked to come back after a week for further checkups.
