The 20 people, who lost one of their eyes last year after cataract surgery at Impact Masudul Hoque Memorial Community Health Centre in Chuadanga’s Alamdanga upazila, are now having problems in their other eye.

The left eye of Hayatun Khatun of Enayetpur village in Alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga had to be removed as a result of the cataract surgery on March 5, 2018.

Her right eye was in good condition during the operation, but now she is suffering from severe pain in that eye.

“She lost her left eye and now the vision in her right eye has become dim. She often cries out from severe random pain in her eye,” said her daughter Farida Khatun.

Farida alleged that they repeatedly informed the health centre authority about this, but received no response.

During a three-day eye camp last year, Dr Md Shahin of Impact Health Centre conducted 24 surgeries each for Tk 7,000.

A day after the surgery, 20 patients, who were released by the centre, started feeling severe pain in their operated eyes.

They had to seek treatment in Dhaka, where eye doctors found serious infection and had to remove the operated eyes. Only one out of the 20 people, decided not to go with another surgery. However, later that patient too later lost her eyesight.

Once the news became public through a Bangla daily, a writ petition was filed by Supreme Court lawyer Amit Das Gupta before the High Court on behalf of the victims asking for a compensation of one crore taka for each victim.  

Following investigation, on October 21, 2018 the High Court directed Impact Masudul Hoque Memorial Community Health and IRIS Enterprise, the medicine supplier, whose product was used during the surgery, to pay Tk 10 lakh to each of the victims. 

The court also directed the hospital authority to bear any further eye treatment expense of the victims for life, said advocate Amit, explaining that the health centre would arrange for treatment of the patients outside the country, if necessary.

He said, the court had not fixed any ceiling with regards to the expenditure that the health centre would bear. The victims, on the other hand, cannot go and avail treatment elsewhere on their own and ask the health centre to pay for it.

Amit added that two cases were filed against Impact Masudul Hoque Memorial Community Health Centre and IRIS Enterprise by the drug administration.

However, none of the organisations lost their registration, and the doctor, who conducted the surgery, did not lose his license.

Although all of the victims received the monetary compensation ordered by the court, most of them not happy with Impact’s service and some do not even trust their doctors anymore. 

Khobiron Nechha of Alamdanga’s Poulobaginda village went to Khulna Rotary Eye Hospital to get a cataract surgery in her left eye for Tk 31,000.

She had lost her right eye from the surgery, conducted at Impact. 

Khobiron’s son Borhan said, after submitting an application Impact gave them Tk 7,000 for the recent cataract operation.

 “I got the compensation money in time, but now I don’t want to get any treatment from that centre,” said marginal farmer Ahmed Ali of Mordanga village of Alamdanga upazila who lost his right eye in the cataract surgery last year.

He said he often gets severe pain in his left eye, but prefers to go to doctors in different hospitals.

When contacted, Administrative Officer of Impact Dr Shafiul Kabir claimed that as per the court directive they take the victims, who come to them with eye problems, to physicians at government hospitals and provide all medicines as suggested by government doctors.

Dr Shafiul added that the health centre authorities have decided to reimburse Tk 7,000 if the victims get cataract operation in some other places not referred by Impact.