Skip to main content

Alleging Madhya Pradesh govt apathy, NGO report says, 19 patients who lost eye sight "refused" compensation

By Our Representative
Alleging official apathy, a follow-up of the independent investigation by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Narmada Bachao Andolan and Swasthya Adhikar Manch into the patients losing their sights at the eye-surgery camp in Barwani in November 2015 has revealed that 19 patients have been mysteriously refused compensation announced by the Madhya Pradesh government.
The compensation was announced following the report of three NGOs’ investigation into the eye camp, jointly organized by Barwani District Hospital and Lion’s Club and held under a state-sponsored programme on November 16-24, 2015.
Following the NGOs’ report, released in Bhopal on December 15, 2015, the state government announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to 65 patients impacted by the surgery, along with a monthly pension of Rs 5000 for 65 patients, though a total of 86 patients suffered.
“As per the investigation and statements collected from these patients, at least 12 patients were found who have not got back expected vision in their eyes. Most of them cannot see too far, have water falling from their eyes and have hazy vision”, the new report says.
It adds, “Clearly they have not got their eye sight back and are suffering from problems even after almost two months since the surgery.”
“It is unknown based on what protocol they were not referred to Indore for treatment. Most of them have visited Barwani District Hospital and Sendhwa Hospital 6-10 times since their surgery and they are still running back and forth to these hospitals”, the NGOs’ updated report says.
“Our team located these patients in villages of Sendhwa, Pansemal and a few more Tehsils”, the report says, adding, it reached the conclusion on the basis of the state government-verified “full list and status of these patients.”
Pointing out that “carrying out bulk cataract operations through eye camps is a target based approach for blindness control” can be risky, the report say, “In the last 5 years, in the Indore-Ujjain division, a total of 88 people have lost their eye sights as per government data; the actual number may be higher than this.”
“Maintaining all service delivery norms around drugs, operation theatres, surgery process, post-op follow-ups etc. in bulk camps can be risky if all guidelines are not strictly adhered to”, the report says.
Pointing towards high-level indifference, the report says, the Indian Institution of Medical Sciences’ (AIIMS’), made a “hurried investigation” of the investigation on December 7.
Thereafter, on December 22, an investigation team comprising of Deputy Director, Health, Finance department and Dean, MGM Hospital, carried out another “hurried investigation.”
But its details have been “kept under cover”, the report states, insisting, “such investigations should be made time-bound”, adding, “The government should disclose the timeline by when the investigation will be completed and a date when the investigation report would be published and made available to the public.”
Providing instances of apathy which need to be highlighted, the report says, “as per guidelines, only glass bottles of Ringer Lactate/normal saline should be used… However, it is known that plastic bottles of solutions were used.”
“The guidelines mandate that pre-operative vision of the patient and the vision at the time of discharge should be taken and recorded on the discharge ticket. However, no discharge ticket is available at this point in time to validate whether this was followed or not”, the report says.
---
Click HERE for the list of 19 patients left out

Comments

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

As double engine takes backseat in Odisha, BJP is pitted against 'firmly rooted' BJD

By Sudhansu R Das  BJP has got 25 years to build its party base in Odisha. After 25 years, it felt helpless and insecure to fight elections on its own strength. The party was almost crazy to have an alliance with the ruling BJD in Odisha.  Looking for alliance at the time of election shows that the party has not groomed its grassroots level workers into potential leaders.  The state BJP leaders woke up and convinced the Central leaders that they are capable of going solo; the alliance was stillborn. The question is can BJP defeat BJD which is firmly rooted in Odisha after launching piles of populist programs in the state.