Cracker ban effect? Noida hospitals report fewer post-Diwali injuries

NOIDA: While the apex court's ban on cracker sale in NCR might not have resulted in no cracker being burst at all, as the city witnessed a buzzling Diwali with many rockets going in the sky, that cracker bursting happened on a lower scale is clear from the statistics of post-Diwali injuries reported in the hospitals of the city.

While at least 60 cases of post-Diwali injuries were reported last year, this year, the number of around 31, nearly half of the previous year. Last year, the district hospital had reported around 31 cases of burn injuries due to cracker bursting by the residents. However, this year, the hospital has reported around 20 such cases out of which only one was serious.

"The youth had burnt his neck and hand while bursting a cracker. He was referred to the Safdarjung hospital in Delhi for further treatment. The rest of the cases which included two children did not require admission or referral," Dr Abhishek Dubey, who handled the emergency ward from 8 pm on Thursday to 8 am on Friday told TOI.

Dr Manisha Kumari who handled the emergency ward from 8 am till 2 pm on Friday told TOI that only one or two burn-related cases had come during her shift and the same were minor in nature.

Similarly, the super speciality paediatric hospital and post graduate teaching institute (SSPHPGTI) in Sector 30 has also reported only two cases of burns this year and the same were not serious.

Most private hospitals have reported lower cases of burns than the previous year on Diwali and the day after.

In the ESIC Hospital, Sector 24, which reported six superficial burn cases post Diwali last year, one case of a serious burn injury was reported on Thursday.

"A 30-year-old female suffered 45 per cent burns when she was bursting crackers. She has been referred to the Safdarjung hospital for further treatment," Dr Neelima, director, ESIC hospital told TOI.

A spokesperson for the Metro hospital, Sector 11 said that the hospital has received no burn injury so far said that they have received no burn related injuries so far.

Authorities at the Kailash Hospital, Sector 27 which had reported over 17 burn cases including five children last year said that it has reported only five cases which required only first aid.

In the Jaypee Hospital, Sector 128, three cases of post-Diwali eye injuries were reported.

"The three cases pertain to eye injuries. No burns have been reported so far," a spokesperson for the hospital said.

Last year, the hospital had reported three burn injuries including a youth who had to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital after he fell down while trying to ignite a cracker.

Fortis hospital, Sector 62 which had reported eight cases of burn injuries last year reported none this year, a spokesperson said.