State govt too ‘rigid’ to go for foldable lens in cataract ops?

Nagpur: At a time when all departments in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) are gradually getting state-of-the-art technology, ophthalmology department continues to rely on the age-old rigid lens for cataract surgery. Though rigid lens requires bigger cut increasing the chances of infection and longer hospital stay, all the GMCHs are using the rigid lens.
All GMCHs were given phaco-emulsification machines in 2001 so that they could shift to latest foldable soft lenses. But these machines remain unutilized at almost all the GMCHs as the government, which launched a Cataract-Free Maharashtra project only recently, still supplies them the old rigid and big lenses.

Dr Tatyarao Lahane, programme leader of Cataract-Free Maharashtra project and deputy director, DMER, instead says phaco machines were never a part of this project and must not be related to cataract surgery.

“There is draft policy pending under which there is a proposal of supplying foldable, small intraocular lenses. If the policy is cleared, from next financial year patients could get these lenses in all GMCHs but not civil hospitals,” said Dr Lahane.

Very few patients (25-30%) in the GMCH buy cheaper foldable lenses with own money and hence the phaco machines are used only in these cases. Otherwise instead of the small incision of 2.2mm, a cut measuring 8-10mm is done in the eye to fix the rigid lens. Sources told TOI, “There is just a difference of Rs200-400 in the cost of the rigid and foldable lens.”

The rigid lens measures 6.6mm and hence a cut of minimum 8mm is required. The bigger cut delays recovery time. Whereas in case of foldable lens implant, patient can go home the same day and recover much faster. The chances of any infections are also minimized in foldable lenses.

On an average, GMCH eye department does about 500 cataract surgeries a month.