Notice to the Government of Madhya Pradesh over reported botched up cataract surgery in Indore (29.08.2019)

New Delhi, 29th August, 2019

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about alleged botched up cataract surgeries leading to loss of vision in a number of patients at Indore Eye Hospital, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Reportedly, four persons out of 15, who underwent cataract surgery at this hospital, have lost eyesight. The victims also include a doctor, who went for cataract surgery at this hospital on the 5th August, 2019. The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, amount to gross violation of human rights of the victim patients. Losing eyesight not only makes a person handicapped but also puts the victim under tremendous stress and mental agony. The reported incidents indicate towards something terribly wrong at the particular hospital which is immediately required to be addressed so that more people do not suffer in future.

It has further observed that it is extremely necessary for the State and district administration to immediately look into the grievance and take effective action against the concerned medical team purported to have acted in a negligent manner causing such irrevocable loss to the victims and to provide relief and rehabilitation to the victims.

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