Health Ministry to probe Nuwara Eliya eye clinic incident

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne has instructed the Director General of Health Services to hold an inquiry into the incident which caused complications to 17 patients at the Nuwara Eliya hospital eye clinic.

Seventeen of patients who visited the eye clinic at the Nuwara Eliya hospital recently, had complained of complications after receiving a certain injection and had been re-admitted for treatment. They had symptoms of weakening eye sight and a pain in their eyes.

The patients are currently being treated again and according to the doctors, they are steadily recovering from the complications.

Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe stated that other eye clinics of other hospitals have not reported such an issue after using the said injection.

Health Minister who is currently in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly had imparted these instructions via a phone call.

Accordingly, the stock of said injection at the Nuwara Eliya eye clinic has been temporarily terminated from use.

The injection will be sent to the National Drug Quality Assurance Laboratory for further tests, the Director General of Health Services said.