CHENNAI: On the day of Deepavali, over 150 people sustained firecracker injuries, some of them serious, according to the data from five government hospitals, including Kilpauk Medical College where an exclusive 25-bed burns ward was recently set up.
The Government Ophthalmic Hospital in Egmore received 75 patients with eye injuries, and 11 of them were admitted for treatment. At least one of these in-patients had suffered retinal injury and underwent surgery. A senior doctor said they must wait to see if that person would regain vision.
Meanwhile, Stanley Medical College Hospital treated 30 patients, of whom 23 required admission. Dr P Balaji, the hospital’s dean, said that all the patients were stable and none had sustained any major injury.
As many as 26 patients were treated, four as in-patients, at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. A toddler, who sustained injuries while her father was bursting firecrackers, was among those admitted. The maximum injury sustained by any patient who reached the hospital was 12% burns. All of them are stable and will be discharged soon, said Dr P Nellaiappar, Head of Department, Burns and Plastic Surgery, KMCH.
At the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, four were treated as in-patients and one out-patient. Of the 16 treated at Government Royapettah Hospital, five were admitted.