HC seeks health secy’s statement over 20 peoples’ blindness following surgery

The High Court today observed that the Ministry of Health cannot avoid the responsibility of any negligence of the Directorate of Drug Administration in examining drugs and medical instruments.

The court came up with observation during hearing a rule issued over an incident of 20 people losing eyesight following surgeries at a hospital in Chuadanga on March 5 this year.

After concluding today’s proceedings, the HC bench fixed tomorrow for resuming the hearing and asked the health secretary to submit a statement over the incident before it next week.

Following surgeries at the Impact Masudul Haque Memorial Community Health Centre (MHMCHC) in Chuadanga in early March, 20 patients lost their eyesight.

During today’s hearing, Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar cited a health ministry report before the HC saying that the drugs and surgical instruments including hand gloves, chemicals and eye-droppers which were used in the eye operations at MHMCHC in Chuadanga on March 5 had no license from the Directorate of Drug Administration.

During the proceedings, the HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader dealt with two separate expert reports submitted by the health ministry over the incident.

One of the reports was prepared by a six-member committee headed by Prof Dr Sania Tahmina, director (diseases control) of the Department of Health Services, on July 15, saying that the incident of infection of the patents’ eyes during operations on March 5 was unintended and accidental and there was no negligence of the hospital.

Another report was prepared by a five-member committee headed by Md Mizanur  Rahman, additional secretary (health services) of the health ministry, on May 13, saying that it seemed from the situation that their (patients) eyes were damaged after being affected with germs due to fault in operation and in the germ-free process.

Following a writ petition filed by the Supreme Court Advocate Amit Das Gupta, the HC on April 1 issued a rule asking the director and a physician of MHMCHC in Chuadanga to explain why they should not be directed to give Tk 20 crore in compensation to the 20 patients.

Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam appeared for the hospital.