SAGAR — A heartbreaking case of alleged medical negligence at a government hospital in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh has left a 19-month-old child permanently blind, sparking massive public outrage and intense political scrutiny. The tragic incident occurred at the Civil Hospital in Banda, a region directly under the administrative oversight of the state’s Health Minister, raising serious questions about patient safety and accountability in public healthcare facilities across the province.
The infant, a resident of Bhusa Kamalpur village, was brought to the hospital by his father, Indraj Vishwakarma, after developing a mild cold, cough, and minor redness in his eyes. According to the family, pediatrician Dr. Himanshu Verma examined the toddler and prescribed standard paracetamol along with specific eye drops. However, the family alleged that the hospital staff on duty committed a catastrophic error during the administration of the treatment by mistakenly pouring a harsh mucus-clearing chemical solution into the child’s eyes instead of the prescribed eye drops.
The toddler’s condition deteriorated rapidly immediately following the blunder, causing severe swelling and agonizing pain. Recognizing the critical nature of the situation, the local facility shifted the child to the Sagar District Hospital, from where he was urgently referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhopal. After conducting extensive examinations, specialists at AIIMS Bhopal informed the devastated parents that the severe chemical reaction and the subsequent delay in corrective treatment had destroyed the child’s retinas, resulting in a permanent loss of eyesight.
The child’s father has since filed a formal written complaint at the Banda police station against the attending doctor and the nursing staff, demanding immediate criminal registration and strict legal action. In response to the growing public outcry, the state Health Department has launched a high-level departmental inquiry. The Chief Medical and Health Officer of Sagar has established a three-member investigation committee, instructing them to submit a comprehensive forensic and administrative report within seven days. Concurrently, local police authorities have initiated an independent criminal probe into the matter.
This horrific incident marks the second major controversy involving fatal medical oversight in the district within a brief period. Just days prior, a patient named Devendra Pathak lost his life at the Bundelkhand Medical College following an alleged anesthesia overdose and a subsequent failure by emergency staff to provide timely intervention. That previous fatality had already forced Health Minister Rajendra Shukla to order a separate probe, and this latest tragedy involving a minor has intensified political demands for structural reforms and criminal accountability within the state’s medical framework.
