Health centre chief suspended for cataract operations under 'torch'

After reports surfaced that eye surgeons at Nawabganj Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Unnao district allegedly performed cataract operations on 32 patients in 'torchlight' on Monday, the Yogi Adityanath government has ordered a probe and suspended the PHC in-charge, Dr Dinesh Dass. Chief Medical Officer of Unnao, Dr Rajendra Prasad, who gave the permission for these operations even when there was no electricity at the PHC has also been transferred.

"No one involved in this kind of medical negligence will be spared. It is the height of medical negligence," said Ravi Kumar, District Magistrate, while ordering the probe.

A two-member team including additional Chief Medical Officer Unnao R.K. Gautam and Joint Magistrate Mankish Bansal has been formed to probe the incident.

Initial investigation suggests that due to erratic power supply at the PHC during the time of the surgeries, a three-member team, headed by Dr Nutan Saxena, performed the cataract operations under two torchlights. "Since there was no power, doctors asked us to hold torchlights and conducted the cataract operations on patients," said a peon.