At least 16 cases of fireworks injuries have been reported in government and private hospitals during the Diwali celebrations in Bengaluru in the past two days.
For Diwali, the state-run Minto Ophthalmic Hospital had reserved 30 beds to care for patients with fireworks injuries. The hospital received 13 cases of fireworks injuries as of Tuesday afternoon.
In a conversation with indianexpress.com Minto Hospital Director Dr. BL Sujatha Rathod said: “We have received 13 cases of fireworks injuries, including facial burns and eye injuries. They will all recover. Most of the patients were just bystanders. Of these 13 cases, several are children, while one 45-year-old woman, a bystander, was injured.Sunday (October 23), a seven-year-old boy from Thanisandra suffered an injury to his left eye.”
“A team of 100 doctors, including postgraduates, is available to care for injured patients and no leave of absence will be granted to staff during the festive week,” she said.
An 18-year-old boy from Srinagar, a bystander, was hit by a cracker, while a seven-year-old boy from Fraser Town suffered an eye injury when a cracker exploded in front of his face. Both patients were rushed to Minto Hospital.
Minto Hospital has treated more than 651 cases of cracker eye injuries since 2008. According to a doctor working with the hospital, the hospital treated 57 patients with eye injuries in 2008 and 2009, followed by 61 and 63 cases in 2010 and 2011, respectively. As many as 65 cases of eye injuries were recorded in 2014, the highest number. In 2020, there were 23 cases of which three had completely lost sight. Last year, more than 24 cases of injuries caused by fireworks were reported in this hospital.”
Aster CMI, a private hospital, also received patients injured by fireworks. Officials said two adults and a child were admitted with burns.