Hyderabad, Oct 26: The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday ordered a probe after 10 people, who underwent cataract surgery at a free eye check-up camp in a hospital on Oct 20, lost their eyesight, officials said Monday. The unnerving incident took place in Nellore district, bordering Tamilnadu. The state government announced Rs.50, 000 compensation to each of the persons who lost their eyesight and asked Bollineni Eye Hospital and Research Centre where the surgeries were conducted to pay Rs.150, 000 to each of the victims.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah asked Nellore district collector and the superintendent of police to conduct investigations and send the report to the government. The Nellore district collector has formed a five-member committee to conduct probe. Health Minister D. Nagender told reporters after a high-level meeting of the chief minister here that criminal action would be initiated against the corporate hospital if negligence by the doctors was found to be the cause of people losing their eyesight. After the surgery, eyeballs of four of the affected people had to be removed to save their lives, their relatives said. They were among 34 people operated upon by a team of doctors at Bollineni Eye Hospital and Research Centre in Nellore town.