Cabinet Grants Compensation to Four More Patients Blinded by Contaminated Eye Drops

Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers has approved compensation for four additional patients who suffered permanent vision loss following the administration of Prednisolone Acetate eye drops during surgical procedures, adding to a growing list of victims seeking redress from the state.

A Continuing Healthcare Tragedy

The decision marks another step by the government to acknowledge and address one of the country's most distressing recent medical controversies, in which a number of patients undergoing eye surgery were left blind after being administered what is believed to have been contaminated or defective eye drop medication.

Prednisolone Acetate eye drops are commonly used in ophthalmic procedures to reduce inflammation following surgery. However, a batch of the medication used in Sri Lankan state hospitals was found to have caused severe and irreversible damage to the eyesight of several patients, sparking public outrage and calls for accountability within the national health system.

Cabinet Takes Action

The Cabinet's latest approval extends financial relief to four more individuals affected by the incident, following earlier rounds of compensation granted to previously identified victims. The move signals the government's continued effort to provide some measure of justice to those whose lives have been profoundly altered by the tragedy.

While the compensation offers monetary relief, many victims and their families have continued to call for greater transparency regarding how the defective medication entered the supply chain of state-run hospitals, and who bears institutional responsibility for the oversight failure.

Calls for Systemic Reform

Health authorities and civil society groups have repeatedly stressed the need for stronger quality control mechanisms within Sri Lanka's pharmaceutical procurement and distribution systems. Critics argue that without meaningful structural reforms, similar tragedies remain a possibility.

• Multiple patients lost vision permanently after using Prednisolone Acetate eye drops
• The incidents occurred in the context of state hospital eye surgeries
• Cabinet has now approved compensation for additional victims in successive rounds
• Calls for accountability and systemic reform within the health sector continue

The government has yet to make a comprehensive public statement detailing the full number of affected individuals, the total compensation amounts allocated, or the outcome of any investigations into the source of the contaminated medication.

For the families of those who lost their sight, financial compensation, while welcome, cannot undo the devastating impact this incident has had on their daily lives and livelihoods.

As more victims are formally recognised and compensated, pressure is mounting on health officials to ensure complete transparency and to implement robust safeguards that protect patients across all state medical institutions in Sri Lanka.