Standardise the production of firecrackers, include protective gear such as goggles or helmets with each cracker box and restrict the bursting of crackers to open spaces to reduce accidents involving bystanders. These were some of the suggestions by B.L. Sujatha Rathod, director of the State-run Minto Eye Hospital, on Friday.
Stating that there was a marginal decrease in the number of eye injury cases this year compared with the previous year, Dr. Rathod said that the hospital had received a total of 34 cases of eye injury. Of these, six patients had sustained grievous injuries.
“Of the six, two patients have been operated upon to give structural integrity to the eye, but they are unlikely to regain vision. The other four patients with grievous injuries may regain vision, depending on various factors,” she said.
Last year, the number of patients was higher at 45.
Attributing the decrease in the number of eye injury cases to increased awareness, she stressed on the need to make it mandatory for firecracker sellers to provide protective gear. Most of the patients, who sustained eye injuries, were bystanders.
“There must be rules and regulations to ensure that firecrackers are burst only in open spaces, far from crowded areas,” she added.