An enquiry into the cause of total blindness in 10 patients in a Kaduna eye centre.
Medical experts at a tertiary health institution in Kaduna State are now working round the clock to unveil the circumstances leading to the total blindness of 10 out-patients after they were injected with a drug the same day.
The victims, who are regular patients of the National Eye Centre, Kaduna became totally blind the same day they received injections for eye-related problems.

Once the incident happened, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) intervened and took the drug for a test. The agency’s findings are being awaited.

Shocked by the development, the hospital management recalled all the affected patients and placed them on free treatment and feeding.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that despite the efforts of the hospital management, none of the patients is yet to regain his or her sight.

A source said that when the incident occurred, NAFDAC went to the hospital within 48 hours and took a sample of the drug that was administered on the male and female patients including the one that was not opened for investigation and analysis.

The sad incident reportedly took place in May this year.

Some of the victims, who narrated their experiences to LEADERSHIP Weekend, said they were still in shock on how they suddenly became blind after taking the injection.

They said that they were yet to get satisfactory explanations on the cause(s) of their blindness the same day after they were injected with a drug in the same bottle.

The management of the hospital said they were not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that the victims regain their sight.

The hospital management said they have embarked on a thorough investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident.

The chief medical director (CMD), Dr. Mahmoud Alhassan, said that the hospital had been injecting other patients with the same drug without any problem.

The injection they were given is the same drug we use to give to patients to reduce bleeding in the eye, especially for diabetics and other patients.

He said: “Interestingly, this is the second, third and last time some of them are taking this particular drug and these reactions just took place.

“The drug is made by Russians. One of the patients complained that her vision had gone down so she came and we thought it was abnormal reactions; we treated it as an infection. We took actions and gave them drugs.

“We still have to clean the eyes, their vision will come back, the CMD said.

Alhassan, who confirmed that NAFDAC came to the hospital within 48 hours of the incident and took samples of the drug, said that it included the used and the unused drugs.

“The point is that these eyes are severely affected eyes. Their vision is poor and we are trying to help them. We have been talking to them and doing our best but it might take two to three months to achieve the desired results because eyes heal gradually. They will be able to get them back,” he said.

“In fact, two of them are very happy now because their situation is now better than it was before. Aside the medical efforts we are making, we are also carrying out necessary investigation, we are not happy with the situation and we will address it accordingly,” he said.

Meanwhile, the patients who until the sad occurrence were out-patients and received same injection at one point or the other without any implications, said that they were yet to recover from the shock.
They questioned the rationale behind the incident as they admitted that they had been receiving the injection but now with no satisfactory explanation as to the cause of the blindness to all of them that were injected the same day.

What could be the cause of this total blindness? Could the drug be expired, adulterated or contaminated? Is it the right drug or it was wrongly labelled by the manufacturers. The cause of this incidence must be investigated by the NAFDAC and report released to the public.

https://nimedhealth.com.ng/2019/06/20/total-blindness/?amp

This is rather unfortunate. FG must intervene

The injection just started working
Don't bother yourself, they are gonna see again

Nigeria is still a Joke.......Quack doctors everywhere...

My father My father, may my legs never carry me to a hopital for my own sake!

Nigeria.

Nothing is working in this country. The country has failed us

They probably gave them some cows vaccination ,hoping it would work for human

Beer parlor doctors and nurses

Okay

Inject more on behalf of Nigerians

I am team herbal/natural..Western medication not for me except on emergency..

That is the type of doctors Ngige said we have more than enough in the country that doctors are free to relocate abroad

This is a very serious issue. Because for all the patients to go blind the same day means that the hospital management must have used a wrong or expired drug to inject them.

Fake country

Either its expired/fake drugs or bad diagnosis by doctors.

Fake/substandard drug is the culprit here not competence of the doctor(s). I hope a solution is found for the affected patients

Terrible stuff. Consume more palm oil people, it's good for your eye health.

I blame Buhari

It can be fake drug .an unbranded one

dominique:
Fake/substandard drug is the culprit here not competence of the doctor(s). I hope a solution is found for the affected patients

Just listen to yourself. How can a competent doctor administer fake or substandard drug to a patient? Isn't that alone incompetency?

BleedTears:
That is the type of doctors Ngige said we have more than enough in the country that doctors are free to relocate abroad

Brother how is this a doctors fault? Didn't u read where it stated that those patients wea taking the drugs before?

Doctors are now manufacturing drugs abi?

Nwoke m go back to school so that u can comprehend what u read

Nteogwuija:


Just listen to yourself. How can a competent doctor administer fake or substandard drug to a patient? Isn't that alone incompetency?

Sense is far from You!

mrkesh77:
It Available , DM OR WHATSAPP

Ewu

Nteogwuija:


Just listen to yourself. How can a competent doctor administer fake or substandard drug to a patient? Isn't that alone incompetency?

Do you have sense at all? Or is it the grammer that is too heavy for you to comprehend?

Nteogwuija:


Just listen to yourself. How can a competent doctor administer fake or substandard drug to a patient? Isn't that alone incompetency?

You listen to yourself. Have you seen a fake and an original item side by side? They're physically identical, it's the chemical composition that differs. Even pharmacists that produce these drugs may not be able to differentiate the fake from the original unless they analyze their chemical components. The only way I can blame a doctor for administering substandard drugs is if he knowingly goes to purchase the drugs from a questionable source.