An investigation has been launched due to claims that 15 patients lost their sight after undergoing free eye surgery at a charity-run camp in India last month, Reuters reported.
The operations, carried out by a non-governmental organization and a group of doctors, were performed using suspected infected equipment and without the consultation of health authorities, Indian officials said Friday. A criminal investigation has been launched on the suspects, mainly on an elderly female doctor for setting up the operations without proper facilities.
"The government is trying to check the condition of 45 other patients operated on at the camp in Punjab state in northern India," according to Rajiv Bhalla, a senior government surgeon in the city of Amritsar.
"The cause was probably using unsterilized instruments - that can be the only reason for the infection in the eye," said Bhalla. "There are no chances of them having their vision restored."
However the claims were denied by philanthropist Manjit Joshi, who was responsible for setting up the camp, according to BBC News. All 49 patients who had their cataracts removed during the eye surgery had received proper medical care and checkup before being discharged, he said.
On Nov. 4, the free cataract surgery was set up in the Gurdaspur district of Amritsar. Following the treatment, at least 15 patients complained of not being able to see after having their bandages removed.
The mishandled surgeries at the eye camp were discovered on Wednesday after some patients went to a government office asking for medicine and financial help.
"They were very upset and helpless," said Ravi Bhagat, the deputy commissioner of Amritsar. "It took them a while to come to see us because they never knew it was going to be such a serious issue."
Since then, 11 patients have been receiving treatment at a hospital in Amritsar, but doctors have stated that "six or seven" of them may not be able to see again, Dr. Karamjit Singh told NDTV.
"In some cases the infection has spread to all parts of the eye and it will be difficult to restore the sight," he said.
For other patients, it could take up to a week before doctors could determine if the patients have lost their sight permanently.
"It is just a minor surgery, the results are normally very good," said Bhalla. "This should never have happened."
In India, government hospitals and camps assist tens of thousands of older people to receive cataract operations, considered to be low risk and easy to perform, every year.
But with a series of botched operations making headlines in India recently, the poor state of healthcare has highlighted the country that has the lowest rate of public spending on medical care anywhere, according to the World Health Organization.
"India has the world's largest number of blind people and cataracts are one of the leading causes of people losing their sight," according to Sightsavers, a British charity. "In order to combat the problem, mass cataract camps are organized."
Meanwhile, the hospital and the organization that regulated the camp could not be reached for comments.
This is just the latest incident that highlights the dangers of shoddy medical treatment in India. Last month 15 women died following sterilization surgery.
