CMO in UP transferred for eye surgeries under torch light

Lucknow, Dec 26 (IANS) The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district was transferred by the government after patients were operated under torch light, an official said on Tuesday.

Along with CMO Rajendra Prasad, Community Health Centre (CHC) in-charge Devesh Das has also been suspended for dereliction of duty.

Over 50 eye operations were conducted at the Nawabganj CHC by a non-government organisation on Monday and photographs that appeared in some sections of media showed the surgeries being conducted on the floor of the hospital and under the light of a torch.

On Tuesday, a probe was ordered by the state government and was conducted by Joint Director (Health) Avdhesh Yadav and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Manish Bansal.

The probe team spoke to the patients on whom the surgical procedure was conducted and when they testified about the lapses, a report was submitted to the state government and action taken immediately, an official said.

The team also found that the operation theatre was "unhygienic" and "not up to the standards for surgeries". Permission for conducting the eye operations had also not been procured from the authorities.

On Tuesday, when the electricity went off, the CHC in-charge refused permission to switch on the generator and directed that the surgeries be conducted in the dark, with the aid of a torch.

In inclement weather, patients were asked to lie down on the floor as well, the probe team found.

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