The High Court (HC) issued issued a rule on Sunday asking the authorities concerned to explain why Tk 10 million (1.0 crore) compensation would not be given to 20 people each who lost their eyesight after surgery at the Impact Memorial Community Health centre in Chuadanga on March 5, reports UNB.
Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Md. Iqbal Kabir issued the rule after hearing on a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Amit Das Gupta. A national daily newspaper published a report on March 29 that 20 people had lost their eyesight following their surgery on March 5 at a three-day eye camp.
The court also sought explanation why inaction of the health centre in adopting proper, effective and sufficient safety measures while conducting the eye operations should not be declared illegal.
It also asked the authorities concerned to take legal action against the health centre and the physicians concerned for their reported negligence in conducting unsafe eye operations.
The health secretary, the home secretary, director general of the Directorate of the Health Services, civil surgeon of Chuadanga, deputy commissioner and superintendent of police, Impact Masudul Haque Memorial Health Centre, Physician Md Shahin and two others have been asked to respond to the rule within two weeks.
On March 5, a total of 24 patients underwent cataract operations at the hospital and a day after the surgery all the patients were released.
But a few hours after returning home 20 of them felt severe pain in their eyes due to infection.
Sensing danger, the hospital authority secretly took them to Islamia Eye Hospital and Vision Eye Hospital in Dhaka. Later, each of the 20 patients underwent surgery and their infected eyes were removed.
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