The Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has taken cognisance of the Vashi incident in which six elderly patients reportedly lost their vision after undergoing cataract surgeries at Dr. Pandit Eye Hospital in Sector 10, Navi Mumbai. The council has sought clarification and will soon summon the doctors involved.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, MMC administrator Dr. Vinky Rughwani said the matter is being treated with utmost seriousness. “The inquiry process has already begun,” he said, adding that since the police are also investigating, the council cannot disclose further details at this stage.
However, he confirmed that a detailed explanation has been sought from the hospital and the doctors responsible for the surgeries will be called for a hearing soon. The MMC, which regulates medical practice in Maharashtra, has the authority to suspend or revoke the licences of doctors found guilty of professional misconduct.
NMMC Launches Separate Probe Amid Public Outrage
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has also launched a separate probe into the incident, which left six elderly patients partially or completely blind. Families of the victims have accused the doctors of gross negligence and demanded strict action. The case has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for stronger oversight of private eye clinics, especially to protect elderly patients from irreversible medical harm.
Past Suspension of Dr. Pandit Resurfaces in Spotlight
As reported earlier by the Free Press Journal, Dr. Pandit — against whom the Vashi police have registered a case — was suspended in 2016 by then NMMC Commissioner Tukaram Munde following multiple complaints. At the time, he was serving as an ophthalmic surgeon in the civic Health Department, and the suspension was issued under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979, and the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act after repeated warnings failed to improve his conduct.
In 2017, under Commissioner N. Ramaswami, Pandit was reinstated and later posted to the NMMC hospital in Airoli. “After the FIR was lodged, he has gone on leave. The department is investigating how he was able to run a private hospital while employed with NMMC,” an NMMC Health Department officer said.
Preliminary Findings Highlight Protocol Breaches in Patient Care
Preliminary findings have revealed that one of the surgeries was performed despite the patient’s blood sugar level being 229 mg/dl, without conducting HbA1C, fasting, or post-lunch tests, and without obtaining physician fitness clearance. National guidelines for cataract surgery in diabetic patients were not followed.
