Govt doctors fight hard to undo eye surgery damage

Now admitted to the GH here, she is among 66 people from Villupuram and Perambalur districts who lost their vision in one of their eyes after undergoing the cataract surgery organised by a private hospital. Doctors at the hospital here and a medical team from Chennai are fighting hard to relieve Aanchalai and others like her from the post-operation pain and trauma. They also have to ensure that the remaining eye is in a good condition; good enough not to render these old people completely blind.

It all began last month when Joseph’s Eye Hospital of Tiruchy district conducted a free special eye camp at Kaduvanur in Villupuram district. Of those who attended the camp, 66 from the two districts were to undergo cataract surgery.

As he did not trust the hospital staff, Navaratnam went to a local ophthalmologist when he could not no longer bear the post surgery pain. The ophthalmologist confirmed that her left eye was completely useless now. “Earlier, I was able to see a bit though there was a little haziness. It was still better than losing one eye completely and the pain we had to go through,” she said.

The retina in her left eye is no longer black; it is dull, grey and lifeless, like the eyes of 36 others who are admitted here. The rest, hailing from Perambalur, are under observation at the base facility of Joseph’s Hospital in Tiruchy.

“None of us are literate and did not exactly understand what was happening. I can only remember the severe pain in my head, especially around my eye after the surgery, and now my right eye is completely useless,” said Vemban Vemban, another victim.

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