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45 blinded: Congress slams BJP for compensation

By IANS,

Raipur : Chhattisgarh’s opposition Congress Tuesday hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for a “shocking” Rs.50,000 compensation to each of the 45 people who lost their sight after being operated upon at a government health camp recently.

The week-long health camp was organised in Durg district’s Balod area and ended Sep 30. The victims were operated upon for cataract.

“This is a very shocking amount. I never expected that state government will provide just Rs.50,000,” state Congress chief Nandkumar Patel told reporters.

“The amount is a joke with the poor people and is very insulting as well,” he added.

The government had not even registered a first information report against the doctors, Patel stated.

The state government, under severe criticism for botched eye operations, announced the compensation last week.

“The government must act tough against the erring doctors and urgently provide at least Rs.20 lakh compensation to each of the victims, besides a government job to each of the family,” doctor-turned-politician Renu Jogi of the Congress said earlier.

Chhattisgarh’s Directorate of Health Services had confessed that 334 lens transplantations were done at the camp.