Representational image. (PTI Photo/Shiva Sharma)

HYDERABAD: Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital treated 87 people for cracker-related eye injuries by Monday evening, including 44 children and 43 adults, as patients arrived with swollen, painful eyes after Diwali celebrations.

Fifteeen patients were admitted and eight were initially assessed for surgery. Three required operations; two are likely to lose vision in one eye, said P. Modini, the hospital's in-charge superintendent.
Most patients arrived on Sunday. Sutli bombs and rockets caused most of the injuries, while one case involved a mirchi bomb, Modini said. Injuries included damage to the cornea, eyeball and eyelids. One bystander had completely lost vision in one eye.
“My child is 11 years old. He had just lit a rocket when it burst and hit him. His eye has swollen, and we are waiting outside the operation theatre,” said Rekha, who brought her son to the hospital.
A 50-year-old man from Balanagar said a rocket hit his eye as he stepped outside to close his gate. Parents at the hospital urged the government to ban certain crackers, particularly rockets, citing the danger to children.
Two children were shifted to Niloufer Hospital for paediatric care after their eyelids swelled, though they had no direct eye injuries.
An adult with a head injury was transferred to Osmania General Hospital.Prof. P. Lakshmi, head of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Osmania General Hospital, said there were no major burn cases. A few patients sought outpatient care for burns and were advised medication and treatment.


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