Girl Losing Eyesight: OHRC Orders Probe Into Medical Negligence

Bhubaneswar: Expressing grave concern over the plight of a six-year-old girl of Nayagarh district who lost an eye due to wrong medication, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Wednesday asked the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Nayagarh and the Director of LV Prasad Eye Institute in Bhubaneswar to reply within two weeks.

The Commission has also directed the Superintendent of the SCB Medical College & Hospital to form a committee of experts to probe and submit a report within a week to establish whether the prescribed medicine, (Clotrimazole & Lignocaine Ear Drop) can cause extensive damage to the eye.

The directive of the Commission came in response to a complaint lodged by the girl’s parents today.

According to the report, Chandrakanta Gochhayat of Nachhipur village in Daspalla block in Nayagarh district had taken his daughter to the Daspalla Community Health Centre (CHC) on September 29 after she suffered a minor injury in her right eye.

As there were no eye doctors available at the hospital, he took his daughter to the district headquarters hospital. As per the prescription provided by the doctor there, Chandrakanta collected the required eye drops from Niramaya store. The doctor advised him to put 3-5 drops in the affected eye of his daughter twice a day. Back home, Chandrakanta did as he was told. Soon after, the girl complained of excruciating pain. Chandrakanta took her to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar where the doctor told him that the medicine prescribed was an ear drop.

Subsequently, the damaged eye of the girl had to be removed at the hospital and an artificial eye was implanted.