We are gradually regaining our sights – Eye centre patients

Some patients at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, who lost their sights after receiving injection of the drug, Avastin, said they have started regaining their sights. The patients were given the Avastin injection between May 28 and 29, 2019, at the centre ahead of further treatments but suddenly they developed complications which led some to […]

Some patients at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, who lost their sights after receiving injection of the drug, Avastin, said they have started regaining their sights.

The patients were given the Avastin injection between May 28 and 29, 2019, at the centre ahead of further treatments but suddenly they developed complications which led some to lose their sights completely.

The management of the hospital said it would study the affected patients while carrying out further treatments on them to enable them regain their sights completely.

A sample of the drug has been taken to the Kaduna office of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for tests. The results were still being awaited as at the time of going to press.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the centre, Dr. Mahmoud Alhassan, said the drug primarily controlled bleeding inside the eye and was a popular drug from Switzerland.

Dr. Mahmoud said, “When we noticed something was wrong, we took action to mitigate further damage, and that is what is going on. Thank God all we need to deal with the complications have been done.

“We are expecting feedback from NAFDAC based on their findings about the injection, but what happened was a complication we didn’t expect.”

Our correspondents who were at the centre spoke with five of the patients and four of them said they had started seeing, while one said he had not experienced any difference since he lost vision after receiving the injection.

Ten people had received the injection, but only two were admitted as in-patients while eight came to the hospital as out-patients.

Our correspondents learnt that the hospital took charge of the affected patients’ treatment because of the reaction the drug caused and that some of them said they were experiencing improvement; even though gradual.

Hajara Hussaini, one of the patients, from Bauchi State, said she had started noticing some improvement compared to when she took the injection.

She said, “I used to feel pain in my right eye which was why I came here in the first place. But now I give thanks to God as I’m beginning to regain my sight after the incident.

Seventy one-year-old Rosaleen Rakiya Akagu whose eyes were operated on, said, “I can walk on my own without anybody holding me. I thank God for that. My sight has not returned fully, but I can see now. When I was operated on I couldn’t see at all; for two weeks was not anything, but now I can see slightly.

“The doctors told me that I will regain my sight. When the incident happened, they gave us tablets and injections. It’s improving.”

Another patient said he came to the hospital with a problem in one eye and that “the eye that was operated on and injected was looking reddish and blurry. I couldn’t see clearly and I was feeling pain. I came back and complained and they took action by returning me to the theatre.

“They assured me that I would regain my sight; but that it’s going to be gradual. As we speak, I can see the colour of your clothes; so I’m happy,” he said.

Another patient said she took the same injection five times and that nothing of that sort happened, and that she was surprised when she could not see when she took the last one.

“They took responsibility because we all know it was an accident since most of us with the issue had taken the same injection earlier without having an issue. Like me, I have taken it five times, but it was the sixth injection that led to this accident.

“When I was given five doses of the drug, I did not have problems, until I received the sixth dose. So I know that no doctor will inject us with a bad drug intentionally. I see it as an accident. But what I keep telling the doctors is that they need to find out what led to the contamination of the injection; is it from the hospital or from the suppliers or manufacturers? They need to find out.

But another patient, Mr. Zakariah Eziekel, from Gonin Gora area of Kaduna, had a different experience. He said his sight had not improved as he has not been able to see anything since he was injected.

Mr. Ezekiel said he came to the hospital to treat cataract in one eye but that after the injection both eyes went blind.

“The situation now is that there is no improvement on my sight; I told the doctors this. When they operated on the eye they told me that the moment I opened my eye I would see, but unfortunately, I can’t see.

“When I received the first injection, there was no issue because I came alone to the hospital and went back home alone that day. So it was when I returned for the injection, that I lost my sight,” he said.

The CMD, Dr. Mahmoud, explained that the recovery process was usually gradual and differed from individuals.

“Some have been excellent but we should also not forget their problems before our intervention; these have to be noted. So work is in progress. We intervened and we are hoping for the best and to make them better than before we intervened,” he said.

On whether their sights will fully recover, the CMD said, “This is science, and we know what we are seeing and what to expect from science within human limits, so we are trained not to lose hope. We will give you information within the limit of what we know in the natural nature of the disease.