Government to Compensate Patients Who Lost Vision After Tainted Eye Drops Used at Nuwara Eliya Hospital

Patients who suffered vision loss or a significant deterioration of eyesight following eye surgeries at the Nuwara Eliya Base Hospital are to receive compensation, after an investigation confirmed that a contaminated eye medication was responsible for the devastating outcomes.

What Happened?

Between 3 March 2023 and 16 May 2023, a number of patients who underwent eye surgeries at the Nuwara Eliya Base Hospital experienced alarming complications, including partial or total loss of vision. Investigations traced the cause to the use of an eye drop solution known as Prednicylone Asitate, which was administered to patients during the affected period.

The incidents raised serious concerns about drug quality control and patient safety within the country's public health system, and prompted authorities to launch a formal inquiry into the matter.

Compensation to Be Awarded

Following the conclusion of the investigation, it has been determined that affected patients are entitled to financial compensation for the harm they suffered. The decision reflects an acknowledgement by the relevant authorities that the use of the faulty eye medication directly resulted in the loss or impairment of vision among surgical patients.

A Serious Public Health Concern

The incident has highlighted the critical importance of stringent pharmaceutical quality checks across all government hospitals in Sri Lanka. Eye surgeries, which are often carried out to restore or preserve vision, instead left a number of patients in a worse condition than before treatment — an outcome that has caused significant distress to the victims and their families.

• The affected period spans from 3 March 2023 to 16 May 2023.
• The hospital involved is the Nuwara Eliya Base Hospital.
• The medication implicated is the eye drop solution Prednicylone Asitate.
• Patients suffered either total vision loss or further weakening of their eyesight.

Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed the total number of patients affected or the specific compensation amounts to be awarded. Further announcements are expected as the process moves forward.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for robust oversight in the procurement, storage, and administration of medications within Sri Lanka's public hospital network.

Patient advocacy groups are urging the government to ensure that all affected individuals receive fair and timely compensation, and to implement immediate reforms to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

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