Hyderabad hospitals treated at least 191 people for burn and eye injuries linked to Diwali firecrackers, with nearly half of the patients being children and six people, including a woman, suffering complete vision loss, doctors said on Monday.
The cases were reported across major hospitals in the city after firecracker use during the celebrations. Doctors said several of those injured were bystanders who were walking on roads, travelling on two-wheelers or standing near locations where crackers were being burst.
Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital treated 74 patients by Monday evening, including 37 children. Twenty-one patients had grievous injuries and 53 were classified as having simple injuries. Twelve patients required admission, while 10 were scheduled for surgery. The remaining two did not require surgery but were to undergo emergency examination under anaesthesia.
Hospital superintendent Dr Modini Pandharpurkar said the hospital had recorded more than 110 similar cases during the corresponding period last year. She said the number could rise over the following two to three days as patients from districts travelled to Hyderabad for treatment.
Two patients treated at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital lost their vision after being injured as bystanders, Dr Pandharpurkar said. One was travelling on a two-wheeler when a firecracker fragment struck the person’s eyes, while another suffered a similar injury while closing a door. Doctors identified bullet bombs, mirchi bombs and rockets among the firecrackers commonly involved in injuries this year.
At LV Prasad Eye Institute, doctors reported 102 firecracker-related injury cases, including 37 children, along with one other emergency case. Four patients completely lost their vision, while 22 were advised to undergo surgery. Six surgeries had been performed by Monday, with further procedures planned.
Dr Navya Cherukuri, an ophthalmologist at LVPEI, said several patients had been injured while walking on roads or standing close to places where firecrackers were being burst. The hospital saw about 10 to 12 such cases on Sunday morning, followed by 102 emergency cases between Sunday night and Monday morning, she said. The emergency department was full on Monday morning, with children accounting for nearly half of the patients.
Other hospitals also reported firecracker-related injuries, though their caseloads were smaller. Niloufer Hospital admitted a three-year-old boy with an injury to his mouth caused by a cracker but reported no outpatient cases. Osmania General Hospital treated 14 patients with minor burn injuries, none of whom required admission. Two people with minor burn injuries were treated and discharged at KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad, while Gandhi Hospital reported no firecracker-related cases.
Doctors said the reported numbers could change as more patients seek specialised eye treatment in Hyderabad. Hospitals are continuing emergency examinations, admissions and surgeries for patients with severe injuries.
