Rights panel seeks probe into student's death, eyesight loss

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, April 6: The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) today asked Dispur to probe into the reported incident of patients losing eyesight after being operated for cataract at a hospital in gaon.

Taking suo-motu cognizance of the case, a division bench of the commission, headed by member ba Kamal Bora directed that notice be issued to the District Magistrate, gaon to cause a magisterial enquiry into the reported incident of patients losing eyesight after being operated for cataract at the BP Civil Hospital in gaon. The bench took cognizance of the news item published in a section of vercular media on April 3. It was reported that 13 persons had undergone cataract operation between March 7 and 10 in the Ophthalmology Department of the B.P. Civil Hospital, gaon. Out of these, three persons lost their eyesight after contracting severe infection.

The AHRC has asked the government to submit the inquiry report within 30 days.

The same bench also took another suo moto cognizance of the death of a student of MC College due to alleged medical negligence. The bench took cognizance of the case based on reports published in a section of vercular media on April 4 about the death of Soli Sarkar, a student of Madhav Choudhury College, Barpeta during laparascopic operation in FAA Medical College in Barpeta for removing gallbladder stone. The bench directed the administration to issue notice to the District Magistrate, Barpeta to cause a magisterial enquiry into the incident of the said death and to submit report together with the relevant papers before the State Commission within 30 days.

The Bench also directed Dispur to issue notice to the Superintendent, Gauhati Medical College & Hospital to submit a detail report in respect the matter within a period of three weeks.

It was reported in the newspapers that the patient went into a coma stage after being administered Anesthesia and due to non-availability of super specialist in the FAA Medical College, Barpeta, she was shifted to Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) on March 29. On the same day, she was admitted to the Critical Care Unit of the hospital but she died during her treatment on April 2.