CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to quash an order of the State government debarring Joseph Eye Hospital in Tiruchy from conducting screening camps and doing cataract surgeries under the National Programme for Control of Blindness in all the districts in Tamil Nadu.Additional Government Pleader P Sanjay Gandhi submitted that the hospital conducted a free cataract removal surgery on September 29, 2008. However, 66 persons lost their vision.After a legal battle, a division bench of the Madras High Court directed CBI to investigate the matter and it filed its preliminary report in April this year. The CBI registered a case against three doctors of the hospital, management and office-bearers of Perambalur district Blindness Control Society and unknown government servants for offences, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, acting rashly and negligently to endanger human life and also under the Prevention of Corruption Act.Taking note of the facts, the State health secretary passed an order on May 11 this year, debarring the hospital from conducting any eye surgery under the National programme, Sanjay Gandhi contended.Since there was a CBI investigation and prima facie a case was found after which an FIR had been registered against the hospital doctors and others, the debarment of the hospital could not be found fault with, Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar observed. Unless and until the hospital was exonerated from the allegation, it had no right to demand permission to conduct the cataract surgeries under the national programme, Justice Vasanthakumar said and dismissed the hospital’s writ petition.
Comments
0 comment