Eye surgeries done without permission: Haryana CM

Chandigarh, March 15 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said an eye surgery camp held by a private doctor in Panipat district last week, in which the vision of 19 people was affected, was held without permission.

"We have ordered a probe into the incident. We will take strict action," Khattar told the media here. He said the camp was held without obtaining permission from health officials in the district.

The state government on Saturday set up a committee to investigative the reasons into the eyes of 19 people being affected after surgery on them in the district's Samalkha town.

At least 14 people have been admitted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here after the cataract surgery done on them in a private hospital in Samalkha town went wrong.

Five others affected after the surgery were being treated in Panipat, Health Minister Anil Vij said.

The eye patients, including women, were mostly elderly and had undergone cataract surgery at Navjeevan Eye Hospital on March 11 during a free camp organised by eye surgeon Ankur Gupta.

The patients were rushed to PGIMER after they complained of pain in their eyes within one to two days of the surgeries.

Doctors at PGIMER told the health minister that they were trying their best to salvage the vision of the patients. Six of them have already been operated upon here.