The state health department on Friday asked the chief medical officers of health in all districts and superintendents of hospitals to visit all 104 eye surgery theatres and ensure that infection control mechanisms were in place in these OTs.

The decision was taken at a meeting with senior officials of the department and senior doctors.

The meeting follows complaints of loss of vision by several people who underwent cataract surgeries at the Garden Reach State General Hospital and Metiabruz Super Speciality Hospital.

Sixteen people who underwent surgeries at the Garden Reach hospital and developed complications were transferred to the Regional Ophthalmology Institute (RIO) at the Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata.

“The superintendents of hospitals and the CMOHs in the districts will have to certify that these eye surgery OTs have complied with all infection control mechanisms,” said an official of the department.

An official of the department said it was clear that the complications happened because of infection spreading from the OT.