GUWAHATI: The Assam Government on Friday ordered a judicial probe into post-operative infection of 38 patients at a government-sponsored camp for cataract surgery. Thirty-four persons lost one eye each. It also announced a relief package of Rs. 50,000 to each of the affected persons.

Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma announced the probe, to be headed by a retired High Court judge, after a three-member experts committee, which went into the incident at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) of Gauhati Medical College Hospital, submitted its report on Wednesday.

The report said "it is difficult to understand how the catastrophe occurred only on September 12, 13 and 16," while recovery of other patients operated on between September 2 and 11 and on 14 and 15 was normal.

"There was some lapse in sterilisation/autoclaving process of the instruments and the linen. It seems non-adherence to the strict asepsis and sterilisation protocol given by the National Programme for Control of Blindness, Government of India, may be an additive factor for this catastrophe."

Dr. Sharma denied the allegation that the infection occurred as the Government set an unrealistic target for the RIO and the institute was ill equipped to handle such surgery. While the RIO had set itself a target of 2,320 cataract surgeries for September 5-November 5, the Government fixed a modest 1,000, he said.

The Government flew all 38 patients in batches to the Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai, where four of them recovered. Among the others, the infected eye had to be removed to prevent the infection spreading. The RIO was allocated Rs. 7 lakh for 1,000 surgeries, while the Government spent Rs. 57 lakh on airlifting the patients and providing the relief package. Surgery under the National Blindness Control Programme would be resumed once the RIO's operation theatre complex was reopened after the ongoing renovation at a cost of Rs. 86 lakh.

Groupism among doctors

The Government would carry out an administrative reshuffle in the hospital to contain "groupism among doctors," which affected the institute, said Dr. Sharma.

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