HYDERABAD: Carelessness while bursting firecrackers during Diwali celebrations left 87 people with eye injuries, prompting them to seek treatment at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. Among them were a nine-year-old boy from Borabanda, whose eye was injured when a firecracker he was bursting exploded, and another from Bhadrachalam, who was struck by a fragment of an exploding cracker.
Of the 87 outpatient cases recorded on Monday, 15 patients required admission, while 10 were taken up for surgery, including three children. Two adult patients had a poor prognosis, while one child was expected to recover. One patient was referred to Osmania General Hospital and three to Niloufer Hospital. Two others remained under observation, while the two patients admitted on Monday were still being evaluated.
“My son had borrowed firecrackers from his friend and was bursting them when one of the crackers suddenly exploded and injured his eye,” said Mohammad Asif, father of Mohammad Rahim.
In another case, nine-year-old Mokshit was brought to Hyderabad from Bhadrachalam after a firecracker fragment struck his eye.
“We first took him to a local hospital in Bhadrachalam, where doctors said he might require surgery and advised us to shift him to Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. We travelled all the way to Hyderabad and are waiting for doctors to decide on the further course of treatment,” said Lakshmi, his mother.
Another patient, who did not wish to be identified, suffered severe injuries to both eyes after a firecracker exploded before he could move away. He was awaiting surgery.
“Between 7 pm and 8 pm, I was bursting firecrackers. While lighting one, I could not move away in time and it exploded. I could not understand what had happened afterwards. My left eye is completely damaged. I can see a little through my right eye, but not much. Doctors here told me that surgery would be required,” he said.
Dr Modini Pandharpurkar, Superintendent of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, said, “Nearly one-third of those injured were bystanders or passersby who were not bursting firecrackers themselves. Most injuries were caused by the impact of fireworks rather than burns.
Bullet bombs, mirchi bombs and rockets were among the firecrackers associated with the injuries. The hospital had deployed additional medical teams, including 11 doctors, to provide round-the-clock emergency services in anticipation of a rise in cases.”
The hospital conducts awareness programmes on the safe use of firecrackers every year. More patients from neighbouring districts were expected to reach Hyderabad over the next two days, Dr Pandharpurkar said.
During Diwali last year, the hospital treated 54 patients with firecracker-related eye injuries. It had recorded around 40 to 50 such cases annually over the previous four years.
Meanwhile, several people with eye injuries also approached private hospitals across Hyderabad and its outskirts. AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain visited Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital on Monday and enquired about the condition of the admitted patients.