Eye drop reaction deprives many patients of vision.

Byline: Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD -- The government and management at Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital are investigating the reason behind an incident in which a number of patients reportedly lost their eyesight after eye drops were administered to them.

Patients, who have gone through operations of glaucoma, have been alleging that 80 patients lost their eyesight. In response to the allegations, the hospital administration claims after administration of drops condition of eight patients deteriorated while one woman lost her eyesight.

Manzoor Ahmed Kiani, 53, who works as a sub-inspector in Bagh, Azad Kashmir, while talking to Dawn said he was operated for Glaucoma on Jan 8.

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision.

'After the operation, eye drops were administered to me. I don't know what kind of impurity was in the eye drops because I had a severe infection and lost my eyesight. Same thing happened to the patient next to my bed,' he said.

Govt, hospital management initiate probe into incident

Mr Manzoor, who is a father of six, his youngest being nine, said that the incident has not only made his life difficult but jeopardised the future of his children.

'I used to be a traffic sergeant but now I may not be able to join my office again. Me and my family were not prepared for this and have no clue about what we will do,' he added.

Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also spoke against the incident because one of the women of his constituency lost her eyesight.

Upon being contacted, Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital Media Coordinator Mirza Riaz Baig told Dawn that the allegation was wrong and 80 patients did not lose their eyesight.

'We hold around 250 operations daily and only eight patients had a reaction to the eye drops. One woman, out of them, lost her sight and she belongs to the constituency...