Nearly 500 people were treated for firecracker and other Diwali-related injuries at hospitals across Delhi during the festival, with cases ranging from minor burns to serious eye injuries requiring emergency surgery.
The Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at AIIMS Delhi received nearly 110 patients with eye injuries on November 8 and in the early hours of November 9. Most of the injuries were linked to firecrackers, and many of those affected were children and young adults.
Of these patients, 72 had injuries that did not threaten their sight and were treated without surgery. Another 18 suffered corneal perforations or lacerations and required emergency surgical intervention. Around 20 other patients were scheduled to undergo surgery, according to the hospital information provided.
AIIMS and Safdarjung Report Burn Injuries
AIIMS Delhi recorded 42 Diwali-related burn injuries until 11 am on November 9, according to its Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery.
Nearly 110 patients rushed to AIIMS Delhi’s eye emergency after Diwali celebrations, most with firecracker-related eye injuries.
18 suffered corneal perforations or lacerations and required emergency surgery. Another 20 are slated for surgery today.
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Of these, 37 were caused by firecrackers, while two were attributed to potash burns, including one involving a 13-year-old child. Eleven patients suffered major burns, with four requiring admission to the intensive care unit. The remaining 31 sustained minor burns.
An eight-year-old child with burns covering 45 per cent of the body was reported to be in critical condition. Five patients underwent operations, while eight remained admitted, including one in critical condition.
At Safdarjung Hospital, 135 patients with minor burns visited the outpatient department on November 7 and 8. Of these, 129 injuries were linked to firecrackers and six to diyas. Thirty-five patients were below 12 years of age.
The hospital also admitted seven patients with major burn injuries during the two days. Five cases were caused by firecrackers and two by diyas.
RML and GTB Hospitals Treat Hundreds
Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital treated 41 patients with burn injuries during the Diwali period, including 18 with firecracker-related injuries. Eight patients required hospitalisation, while the others were discharged with advice to follow up at the outpatient department.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital reported 172 Diwali-related injury cases between November 8 and 9. These included 34 patients with eye injuries, while most of the remaining cases involved skin burns. Twenty-five of the patients were children and 56 were women. All were discharged after receiving medical care, and the hospital reported no deaths or admissions related to burns or firecracker injuries.
The combined burn injury figures from AIIMS, Safdarjung, RML and GTB hospitals stood at 397.
A separate compilation by Hindustan Times, which included additional hospitals and different categories of injuries, put the total number of Diwali-related cases at 499.
Firecrackers Cause Eye Injuries
Aakash Healthcare in Dwarka treated 15 patients with firecracker-related injuries, including 11 with eye injuries and four with burns elsewhere on the body.
Nine of the 11 eye injury patients had foreign particles embedded in their eyes, reportedly caused by shot patakas. The injuries ranged from corneal abrasions to more serious damage that could threaten vision.
Dr Prashaant Chaudhry, senior consultant and head of ophthalmology and refractive surgery at Aakash Healthcare, said the number of patients with embedded foreign particles was concerning.
He warned that such injuries could damage the eye’s surface and, in some cases, cause lasting harm to vision.
Hospitals across the city had deployed additional medical teams and emergency facilities to manage the increase in patients during the festival.
