Burn injuries mar celebration

LUCKNOW: A large number of burn injuries due to fireworks were reported in various hospitals of the city, despite the sale of crackers going down on Diwali this year as compared to last year.

More than 230 burns-related cases were reported in hospitals all over the city on November 11, the day people celebrated Diwali.

Most of these injuries were caused in freak accidents, while burning crackers and due to carelessness.

At the KGMU’s Trauma Centre, 18 burn injury cases due to crackers were reported. Of these 10 cases were serious. In one case, a patient lost four fingers of his right hand.

Majority of burn cases were reported at the Civil Hospital. Here 87 patients tur ned up to seek medical aid for burns caused by crackers. Seven cases were of a serious nature and the victims were admitted, while the remaining were discharged after first aid.

Dr Ashutosh Dubey, medial superintendent of Civil Hospital, informed that of the seven serious cases, two were from Gonda.

Both these patients were referred to Lucknow from the district hospital, Gonda, with more than 60% burn injuries inflicted by crude bombs, added Dr Dubey. Gonda is about 113 km from the state capital.

At Balrampur Hospital, only six cases related with burn injuries were reported. All the injured were discharged after first aid. At the Lohia Hospital also, none of the five patients who turned up had any serious injury. Dr Omkar Yadav, medial superintendent, Lohia Hospital, informed that all five patients were discharged from the hospital.

At various private hospitals across the city, 94 cases of burn injuries were reported, out of which 12 were of a serious nature.