M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, March 16: With the offset of summer, the rate of cataract surgery has started to decline. It is put off more by the patients having cataracts themselves than by the doctors.
Cataract surgery is preferred in the winter season. Summer is avoided for the intense sun as it does not suit the cataract removed eyes.
However, this winter, the Medinirai Medical College Hospital (MMCH) in Daltonganj made a poor show of cataract surgery. It conducted only 49 cataract surgeries in a span of 71 days beginning January to March 12.
Dr Dharmender Kumar, head of the department of eyes in the MMCH Daltonganj said, “We could do only 49 cataract surgeries between January and March 12.”
Palamu Civil Surgeon Dr Anil Kumar said that although the medical business in MMCH Daltonganj is under its medical superintendent, nevertheless, he is in the larger interest of the poor cataract ridden patients and finds this rate of cataract surgery too dismal.
He said that there can’t be any excuse for such a poor performance. It is time for everyone in the department of eyes in MMCH Daltonganj to do introspection.
Dr. Dharmender Kumar conceded that in 2021 (January to March) the figure for cataract surgery was no better except that during this period, 57 cataract surgeries were done, while this year (2022) for the same duration, it is 8 short of 57.
Bizarre reasons were offered for the poor performance of the cataract surgery. One reason given was that the bulb of the microscope got fused and it remained so for 15 days in February in which no cataract surgery could be done.
Dharmender Kumar confirms it saying the fused bulb of the microscope led to the halt of the cataract surgery. He cited another reason that the Eye OT was under renovation for a pretty long time and as such no cataract surgery was performed till the renovation work was on.
Sources said both the reasons appeared not plausible at all as health measures can’t be put off.
Chairman of the district committee for control of blindness Shashi Ranjan who is the Palamu DC said that he has this information that OT was renovated long ago and hence it could not be forwarded as a cause of a very lesser number of cataract surgeries in the MMCH this winter.
Palamu Civil surgeon Dr Anil Kumar said that he has been told of poor illumination microscope, non-availability of auto refractoro, slit lamp and A scan in the department of eyes in MMCH but who has stopped from not having it.
The national programme for control of blindness and visual impairment in India has asked not to hold cataract surgery camps under any tents, open fields, halls or enclosure other than a health institution.
Sources said the prevalence of blindness is 1.4 percent which is quite high in India.
