Festival of lights nearly blinds them

Hyderabad: The celebration of lights and happiness ended up as a nightmare when nearly 30 persons from different areas in and around Hyderabad, who suffered eye injuries were reported at the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, here on Friday. Dr Rajendra Gupta, the Superintendent of the hospital told The Hans India that 18 persons were brought to them in a critical condition with excruciating eye pain, blurring vision and were found bleeding out of which six of them were operated and are kept under strict observation while the rest have been treated with the necessary first aid.

“Sushanth finished playing outside our house and had gone to join his friends who were bursting firecrackers when the splinters from it flew into his left eye. We took him to a doctor in Ramagundam when he started to complain that his eye was hurting and were advised to bring him here,” recalled Banesh, his father who agrees that he was away when the mishap took place. In a similar incident, Swapna, who stayed in a local hostel, was left bleeding when a firecracker from a nearby street took a straight hit at her eye.

Casual attitude and ignorance of private hospitals in treating these victims on time added to worsen their condition and could have cost them their vision. “We took him to a private hospital in Banjara Hills. But instead of getting better, my son Adil began to complain of unbearable pain and reducing eye sight which is when we got him here.

The doctors examined him and told us that he needs to be operated,” complained a worried mother.
Telangana Health Minister C Laxma Reddy said that the victims are being given the best medication by expert doctors and the state-of-the-art equipment at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. Health conditions of the victims have been brought to stability and are under constant supervision by special medical teams, he said.

An official of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital revealed to The Hans India that despite several awareness drives by the government and the media, to celebrate a safe Diwali, the number of such accidents in Hyderabad have remained the same since last year.

“These kinds of accidents could have been avoided if the parents had been careful while their children played with crackers. Playing in open spaces, keeping a water bucket nearby and using protective lenses would have let them enjoy their festivities in a safer way,” said Dr Rajendra Gupta.

By: Maitreyi Tadepalli