Corporators seek report, relief for victims, doc axed
Corporators on Monday demanded the tabling of the inquiry report of the botched surgeries at the Hinduhridysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Centre, Jogeshwari. The inquiry was commissioned on January 25, when seven patients reportedly lost eyesight after undergoing cataract operations conducted using non-sterilised instruments and in unhygenic conditions. The House also demanded the removal of the doctor who performed the surgeries.
Three patients had lost their sight after being operated upon at the centre on January 3. The issue was highlighted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator, Abhijeet Sawant, at the standing committee on January 25. “The municipal commissioner had promised to submit the report within a week. It has been more 15 days, but the report is yet to be tabled,” he said, at the House meeting on Monday.
“The report should be presented in the next House meet,” said Sawant. The next meet will be held in a week.
The corporators sought strict action against the doctor, claiming the superintendent had been made a scapegoat. “The corporation has demoted Dr Harbhajan Singh Bawa, the medical superintendent
The municipal commissioner had promised to submit the report within a week. It has been more 15 days, but the report is yet to be tabled.
— ABHIJEET SAWANT,
BJP Corporator
(MS). However, no action has been taken against the doctor and ward boys in the ophthalmology department, responsible for the incident. The MS should be given back his position and the doctor should be removed immediately,” demanded the Shiv Sena corporator, Yashwant Jadhav, who is also the chairman of the standing committee.
“The corporation should be held accountable and pay `20 lakh as compensation to each victim. In addition, the corporation should provide jobs to a member of every victim’s family,” said Ravi Raja, the Congress corporator and the leader of the Opposition.
Seven patients suffered loss of vision after cataract surgery at the trauma care centre on January 3. On January 5, it was discovered their eyes had been infected. Two days later, they were referred to the civic-run KEM Hospital and finally shifted there on January 10. Four patients subsequently recovered their vision but three patients lost their eyesight.