Seven of the 18 people who had developed infections after undergoing a cataract surgery in Warangal have no improvement in their eyesight, doctors treating the patients at LV Prasad eye hospital in Hyderabad said on Saturday.

The patients were directed to the hospital in Hyderabad on Friday after they lost their eyesight after a surgery at Jaya hospital in Warangal. While the exact cause of the blindness is not known, doctors at LV Prasad Eye hospital suspect that a fungal growth in the normal saline used to disinfect surgical equipment could be the cause, reported The New Indian Express.

Doctors are investigating if the infection developed at the hospital or after the surgery due to poor hygiene by the patient.

Seven of the eighteen patients have no improvement in their vision even after the second surgery while the vision of the other 11 patients is showing signs of improvement.

The infection was first noted in five patients on Thursday as part of follow-up checks by doctors at Jaya hospital. The doctors then called other patients who had undergone surgeries to prevent vision loss. Over 250 cataract surgeries were performed at the hospital.

The health department officials have sealed the hospital's operation theatre and have initiated an inquiry.

 It was initially reported across media that the surgeries were part of the Telangana state government Kanti Velugu scheme but on Saturday the Medical and Health principle secretary, A Shanti Kumari told media in Adilabad that the operations were performed under the National Blindness Control Programme of the Centre and not the state government’s scheme launched in August.

The official said the confusion arose as both schemes were being carried out simultaneously at the hospital. The state government is now mulling action against the hospital for negligence in performing cataract operations, once the inquiry is completed.

The official clarified that the state scheme would begin only after three months since secondary and tertiary care measures for undertaking cataract surgeries are yet to be completed.