Children make up for half of Deepavali eye-injury cases at Hyderabad hospital

Nine-year-old Mokshit was among 15 patients admitted to the Burns Ward of the government-run Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Hyderabad following eye injuries during Deepavali celebrations. Brought all the way from Bhadrachalam, the boy was anxiously waiting for doctors to decide whether he needed surgery after a firecracker fragment struck his eye.

“My son was bursting a firecracker when suddenly a part of it flew off and hit his eye. My husband and I took him to a local hospital in Bhadrachalam, where the doctors said he might require surgery and advised us to bring him here. We are now waiting for the doctors to examine him and decide on the further course of treatment,” said Lakshmi, the boy’s mother.

Mokshit’s case is among several involving children, who accounted for half of the patients treated for firecracker-related eye injuries during Deepavali at the hospital. In sheer numbers, of the 87 patients who reported to Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital over November 7 and 8, a total of 37 were children.

Hospital superintendent Modini Pandharpurkar said 54 patients were treated during the corresponding period last year. She expects the numbers to rise over the next two to three days as more patients from districts are likely to reach Hyderabad for treatment.

Of the 15 patients admitted, 10 were scheduled to undergo surgery on Monday. Two adult patients had a poor prognosis while one child was expected to recover, according to the latest hospital update. One patient was referred to Osmania General Hospital (OGH) and three to Niloufer Hospital for further treatment. Two others were under observation, while the two more admitted on Monday were still being evaluated, Dr. Pandharpurkar said.

She pointed out that several patients were bystanders who sustained injuries while walking on roads or standing near places where firecrackers were being burst. Bullet bombs, mirchi bombs and rockets were among the firecrackers linked to the injuries reported this year.

LVPEI reports 92 cracker injury cases over two nights

Meanwhile, the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) reported 92 firecracker-related injuries over the two nights of Deepavali celebrations. Its emergency report for November 7 recorded two firecracker injury cases between 7 p.m, and 7 a.m., apart from 14 other emergency cases.

The number surged on November 8, the day of Deepavali, with the hospital treating 90 patients for firecracker-related injuries between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. One other emergency case was also reported during this period.

Of those 90 patients, 25 were advised surgery, with 22 procedures planned. Six surgeries had been performed, according to the hospital’s emergency report.