Hyderabad: Diwali was not so much fun for everyone in the city. For 13-year-old Siddharth from Saidabad, for instance, it was a night of pain and suffering. On Sunday evening, Siddharth tried to light a firecracker he held in his hand. He thought it would make for a great picture on Instagram. But it blew up in his face, injuring his right eye. His family rushed him to Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, where he has been kept back for observation.
Some 52 cases of injury were brought to Sarojini Devi Hospital on Sunday, of which 44 were due to firecrackers; 37 were sent home after treatment while seven were admitted for further care.
On Monday, hospital superintendent Dr Rajalingam said most of the cases were from the twin cities. “We expect that people from other districts in the state will come in this evening,” he said.
One of the seven patients admitted was Adarsh, 7, from Amberpet. His father Mohan said Adarsh had emptied the contents of several small ‘flower pots’ onto a paper. “He made a heap of the flammable powder and then tried to light it. It happened instantly and the fire came into his left eye,” said Mohan.
The mother of Aqeel, 7, who was admitted at the hospital on Sunday evening, said, “I let him out of my sight for a few minutes. He and his elder brother ran out on the road. Aqeel got too close to a cracker and it blew up in his face.”
She was relieved when the doctors told her surgery would not be necessary. “I am glad it is not that serious. But he is in a lot of pain. Whenever he wakes up, he wails inconsolably because of the pain. He hasn’t eaten much since last night,” she said.
The family of Koushik, 17, from Kacheguda, said he had lingered near a lit bomb for too long. “After he lit the fuse, Koushik stayed to see if it was really lit. It blew up before he could get away” said his mother.
Dr Rajalingam said it would take a few more days to ascertain whether any of the admitted patients would lose their vision or have permanent damage. He said the situation this year has been far better than in 2018.
“Last year, we had nearly 80 patients with cracker-related injuries, of which 12 were admitted. Two people lost their vision too. This year, the number has come down. It seems awareness campaigns about firecrackers by hospitals, the government and other organisations are working,” he said.
Other eye hospitals in the city too reported several cases. The LV Prasad Eye Institute at Banjara Hills saw 33 cases, of which 29 were treated as out-patients. A representative of the hospital said surgeries were performed on the remaining four patients.
None of them are expected to lose vision. Nearly 90 per cent of the patients were between the ages of six and 13. Interestingly, many patients were just bystanders. The hospital too reported a drop in such injuries; last year, it saw over 100 cases.
Solis Eye Care Hospital at AS Rao Nagar saw six patients on Diwali, all of whom were sent home after treatment.
