BARIPADA: The Mayurbhanj administration on Friday ordered a probe after 10 elderly villagers including women of Naranpur under Badasahi police limits were allegedly tricked into eye surgeries in a private nursing home under the guise of a routine health checkup four days back.
The victims, all aged between 62 and 78 years, submitted a petition to district collector Hemakanta Say on the day, seeking action against the nursing home owner.
They alleged that on June 8, a mobile van of Sai Nursing Home in Baripada arrived at Naranpur to provide free health checkup of villagers. Many villagers including the 10 elderly victims reached the camp. However, the doctors there allegedly advised the victims to go to the nursing home for their checkup.
The elderly villagers refused and requested the doctors to conduct their checkup at the camp. However, the nursing home staff present at the spot allegedly forced them into the mobile van. The victims were taken to the private facility where surgeries were allegedly performed on their eyes. The next day, they were dropped in their village in an ambulance.
The same day, the victims along with their family members reached Badasahi police station and lodged a complaint against the nursing home owner. “Though our eyes were in good condition, the doctors of the private nursing forcefully performed the surgeries,” alleged the victims.
Based on the petition, the collector directed the chief district medical officer of Mayurbhanj and the local police to jointly conduct an investigation into the allegation. Say reportedly assured the victims of taking necessary action after the receiving the inquiry report.
Sources said Badasahi police has registered a case and launched a probe into the incident. Authorities of the private nursing home are yet to respond to the allegations.
