Hosps see fall in Diwali burn cases

LUCKNOW: The anti-cracker campaign seems to have yielded the desired results. According to the doctors, the number of burn cases during Diwali declined by almost 50%, as compared to last year. Most of the injuries were due to the bursting of crackers in hand.
At Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University's Trauma Centre, 43 persons were brought with burn injuries in the past two days.Out of this, 32 patients who suffered minor hand injuries were provided first-aid and discharged. The remaining 11 were admitted in the hospital. This includes six persons with hand injury and two with eye injury.
Head, department of plastic surgery, CSMMU, Dr AK Singh said, "There has been nearly 50% decline in the burn injuries after Diwali in comparison to previous years. It indicates that anti-cracker campaign has shown its results. Unlike previous years, when we had huge number of people with burn injuries, this year, there is a considerable difference. Even the pollution level has gone down." However, a day before Diwali, one person (later identified as Vimal) died in a cracker blast. "The burns were major. The abdomen, and even internal organs were damaged," said Dr Singh.
At Balrampur hospital, five similar patients were brought with burn injuries. Neither of them had a major burn. Hospital's director Dr Shobnath said, "These people had hand injuries. It looked like that they were holding cracker in their hands and lighting it. During the process, the cracker exploded in their hands," he said adding that all five were given treatment in the out patient department itself.
Meena, a resident of Jagdishpur sustained burn injuries when she was lighting diyas on her terrace. Admitted in Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civil hospital, the condition of the 42-year-old woman is critical. "She had received more than 85% burn injury," said a doctor. A total of eight persons with burn injuries visited the hospital, out of which five were admitted to the burn unit on Thursday. This included a nine-year-old boy Tarul, and 25-year-old Phoolwati, both of them received 50% burn injury. However, one major burn case was reported on Wednesday. 50-year-old Guru Prasad from Sultanpur sustained 50% injury when a cracker exploded at his house. As told by the doctors, the only door of his house caught fire and since Guru was sleeping. He too received injuries.
Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital received 15 patients with burn injuries.
Out of this, three persons sustained eye injuries, while the rest reported injuries in hand.
Doctors in the hospital expressed their satisfaction on the diminishing figures. Chief Medical Superintendent Dr RS Dubey said, "Last year, we had to admit many patients as the burn injuries were major. This year, we did not receive any such injuries. All 15 were discharged after giving first aid."
Doctors in the hospitals said that while in majority cases cracker bombs blew off in the hands because of mishandling by people, in few cases victims also suffered burns on their eyes as they bent too much while lighting the crackers.