Around 60 cases of eye injuries caused by Diwali crackers were reported at the government-run Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Mehdipatnam by 9 am on Monday. Of them, 10 patients were admitted and eight were taken up for surgery.

Sixty cases by Monday morning

Most of the patients came to the hospital on Sunday, the day the festival began. Of the 60 patients, 31 were adults and 29 were children. Two patients yet to come from districts.

The cases reached the hospital through the night and into Monday morning as Diwali celebrations continued across the city. The hospital, a government-run eye facility in Mehdipatnam, handled the rush with its regular emergency teams.

What caused the injuries

Most injuries were caused by a mix of sutli bombs and rockets, while one case involved a mirchi bomb, said P Modini, in-charge superintendent of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital.

Sutli bombs and rockets are among the loudest and most commonly burst crackers during Diwali, and eye injuries from them typically occur when a cracker bursts close to the face or when sparks and debris fly into the eyes of people standing nearby.

The most serious injuries

The major injuries this year involved the rupture of cornea, eyeball and eyelids. One bystander suffered complete loss of vision in one eye.

Rupture of the cornea or eyeball is among the most serious forms of cracker injury, and such cases require immediate surgical attention to save whatever vision remains. The hospital took eight patients up for surgery on Monday.

Children make up nearly half the cases

Of the 60 patients, 29 were children, nearly half of all cases reported at the hospital by Monday morning. Children are often among the worst affected in cracker accidents, both because they handle crackers themselves and because they stand close to watch others burst them.

The near-equal split between adults and children underlines how widely the injuries spread beyond those actually lighting crackers, with bystanders also among the injured.

No major burn cases

Prof P Lakshmi, head of the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Osmania General Hospital, said there were no major burn cases. A few patients reported to the outpatient department with burns and were advised medication and treatment.

The absence of major burn cases meant the hospital's attention remained focused on the eye injuries, which formed the bulk of the Diwali caseload on Monday morning.

What doctors generally advise after a cracker eye injury

Doctors generally advise that anyone with a cracker injury to the eye should not rub the eye and should reach a hospital eye department as quickly as possible. Rubbing can worsen damage to the cornea, and home remedies should not be applied to an injured eye.

Eye injuries from crackers can worsen quickly if treatment is delayed, which is why hospitals ask people to seek care immediately rather than waiting to see whether the pain or redness settles on its own.

FAQs

Q: How many eye injury cases reached Sarojini Devi Hospital?
A: Around 60 cases by 9 am on Monday, of which 10 patients were admitted and eight were taken up for surgery.

Q: What caused most of the injuries?
A: A mix of sutli bombs and rockets, while one case involved a mirchi bomb, according to the hospital superintendent.

Q: Were children affected?
A: Yes, 29 of the 60 patients were children, and 31 were adults. One bystander suffered complete loss of vision in one eye.