New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that 20 eye patients had to be rushed to the AIIMS from the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, Delhi on 2nd April, 2017, when they complained about blurred vision, pain and watery eyes after they were, allegedly, administered contaminated injections at the hospital. About 8 of them reportedly require eye surgery.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report raise serious issue of negligence by the GTB Hospital doctors and its management, putting the eyesight of the patients to risk. Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

According to the media report, 20 patients, as part of their follow up treatment, were administered injections containing the drug "Avastian", which is globally used to prevent blindness due to ageing, diabetes, hypertension and rupturing of blood vessels.  “Avastian is classified as a sight-saving drug and is used all over the world. Now in this case, these patients probably were given contaminated injections as they developed blurred vision accompanied with mild pain.

Delhi govt seeks report from hospital

Delhi government’s health department has sought a report from GTB hospital over the botched eye treatment there, even as a woman who was affected by the injection died apparently of a cardiac arrest.

The family members of the deceased have alleged that the medicines which she was taking for heart-related ailments had to be stopped as she was put on different medication when she developed blurred vision after being injected with alleged “contaminated” medicine on April 1.

“She died of cardiac arrest late on Friday night (April 7) after her condition deteriorated,” said a relative.

According to Dr Atul Kumar, Chief of the RP Centre for Opthalmic Sciences at the AIIMS, the batch of patients were injected with Avastin (Bevacizumab) which is an anti-growth factor drug used to prevent irreversible blindness in patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

Reportedly, the Medical Director of the GTB Hospital has stated that the samples of the injection have been sent to the microbiology lab for testing so that suspected contamination could be determined. He has informed that specialists were called immediately when the patients complained about blurred vision and mild pain, during the follow up and the serious cases were referred to the AIIMS, New Delhi.

The GTB hospital has constituted a committee to probe the incident in which 20 eye patients had to be rushed to AIIMS from GTB Hospital last Sunday after they were allegedly administered “contaminated” injections. Eight of them had to be operated upon.

“We have sought a report from the GTB hospital into the matter. Preliminary enquiry had found that the drug used were not out of expiry dates. We are yet to receive the laboratory report,” a senior health department official said.

“Eight of them had to be operated upon to remove the infectious part of the vitreous humor, while the vision of the rest improved after primary treatment,” Dr Kumar said.