Hospital 'botches' cataract surgery on 102-year-old

Kalyani: The Kalyani College of Medicine and JNM Hospital in Nadia is in the eye of storm after an alleged botched cataract surgery.
A 102-year-old woman, Shanti Bala Das from Kanchrapara in North 24-Parganas, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday for a cataract surgery on her left eye. But the surgery was allegedly done on her right eye, says her family. Complaints have been lodged with the hospital authority and Kalyani police.While the surgeon has reportedly admitted to have committed the "mistake", the hospital officials claimed that the surgery was required on her "right eye" too.
It happened with Shanti Bala Das (102) of Kanchrapara Surya Nagar in North 24 Parganas on last Wednesday. Her son in law Narayan Biswas stated that while the concerned doctor had unanimous with her mistake, the authority kept mum.
But hospital authority described that it was the wright surgery on right eye as it was required.
Shanti Bala Das was admitted to the said hospital on Wednesday for removing cataract from her left eye by ophthalmic surgery.
The woman's son-in-law Narayan Biswas alleged, "While she was admitted to the hospital for a cataract surgery on her left eye, the concerned surgeon, Mahua Mukherjee, operated upon her right eye. She later admitted before us that it was a mistake on her part and tried to make us tame. But we have lodged complaints with both the Kalyani police and hospital authorities."
After the surgery, Das was released on Wednesday evening. According to Biswas, after arriving home, she started bleeding from the right eye. "She was suffering from tremendous pain," Biswas said.
She was rushed back to the hospital. "Officials at the emergency ward told us to admit her to the hospital immediately. But the nurses refused to admit her. When we were pleading with the nurses, some junior doctors reached the spot and ensured my mother-in-law's admission to the female surgical ward. We took her to the outdoor department the next day and later brought her back home," Biswas said, adding that the surgeon even requested them not to lodge any complaint. "But we lodged complaint with the hospital authorities and Kalyani police," said Biswas.
Wasif Ali, IC of Kalyani, said: "I spoke to Mahua Mukherjee after receiving the complaint. She stated that Das had told her that her right eye needed to be operated." However, both of her eyes were worth of surgery. Either her right eye also could be at risk.
Hospital authority also was of the same opinion.
Principal Shantanu Banerjee said, "Both her eyes were affected and it was made clear to the patient's relatives. The concerned surgeon made no mistake."