Tangier Hospital Investigates Severe Eye Complications Affecting 13 Patients After Therapeutic Injections

Wednesday 14 - 21:40

An investigation is underway at Mohammed VI University Hospital in Tangier after 13 patients developed acute eye inflammation and severe redness following therapeutic injections administered by the hospital’s ophthalmology department.

The incident prompted the hospital administration to launch an internal inquiry and led to the deployment of central inspection teams to determine the cause of the complications. The affected patients, including women and children, have been admitted for specialized treatment and remain under continuous medical supervision.

Investigation Launched After Initial Cases

The first warning signs emerged on October 9, when two patients who had received injections the previous day developed acute inflammatory symptoms.

In response, hospital officials contacted all 16 patients who had undergone treatment during the same session and arranged urgent clinical examinations to assess their condition.

Assessments conducted on October 10 identified complications in 13 of the patients. The remaining three showed no signs of the reported adverse reactions at the time of examination.

The affected individuals were hospitalized and placed on a treatment protocol involving specialized antibiotics. Medical teams are monitoring their condition around the clock, according to the information provided about the incident.

Health Authorities Examine Medication and Infection Risks

Several bodies are involved in the investigation, including the hospital administration, its infection-control committee, the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, and officials from the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products.

Their work includes an on-site audit examining how the injected medication was stored, handled and administered.

Officials from the medicines agency have also collected samples from the products used in the procedures. The injections had reportedly been administered in the department for several months, and some patients had received more than five injections.

Laboratory tests, including chemical and biological analyses, are expected to help establish the origin of the complications. Investigators are examining two principal possibilities: an infectious process potentially associated with external contamination, or an inflammatory reaction linked to the medication itself.

Neither explanation has been confirmed, and the precise cause remains under investigation.

The medication batch involved was reported to carry an expiry date of September 30, 2028. However, the stated expiry date alone does not establish whether the product was free from contamination or other issues affecting its safety.

Hospital Pledges Continued Care and Transparency

In an official statement, Mohammed VI University Hospital said all affected patients were receiving appropriate medical care under the supervision of a specialized team. Their families are being informed of developments in the patients’ conditions as the investigation progresses.

The hospital also pledged to communicate the findings of the technical investigations once they have been completed, while safeguarding the patients’ personal information.

The inquiry is expected to clarify whether the complications resulted from an infectious agent, a medication-related reaction or another factor associated with the treatment process.

Until laboratory results and inspection findings become available, the cause of the incident remains undetermined. The immediate priorities are the patients’ recovery, the identification of any potential risks and the establishment of the circumstances surrounding the adverse reactions.