Noida: Hospitals across the city reported an uptick in emergency cases on Diwali night. At least 10 people were admitted to the District Hospital with complaints of breathlessness and other respiratory distress, as pollution spiked on Thursday night.
The hospital recorded 10 burn-related cases till Friday morning, most of them sustained while bursting firecrackers. However, the number of patients visiting outpatient departments at the two hospitals post-Diwali, which typically remains high each year, saw a dip.
"While four patients with burns were treated on Thursday night, six more visited at the OPD the following morning. Most of these patients were young adults and children. The injuries were largely minor," Dr Rishabh Kumar Singh, who was on emergency duty at Noida District Hospital on Thursday, said. According to hospital authorities, none of the patients required surgical intervention for the burn injuries.
Around 150 patients rushed in to the emergency department on Thursday night.
Many patients with respiratory ailments faced breathing difficulties as the bursting of firecrackers picked up late on Thursday night.
Dr Mayank Saxena, additional director of pulmonology at Fortis said many older patients have complained of persistent coughing, breathlessness, and reduced oxygen levels. "Despite this, the OPD patients have not seen a significant increase," he said.
At Ghaziabad's MMG Hospital, CMS Dr Rakesh Kumar said a total of 57 emergency cases were reported on Thursday night. "The number of cases was typically higher than usual, however, only three burn cases were reported," he said.
In Delhi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) got 48 burn patients, of whom 35 were from Delhi, eight from NCR regions, and five from areas beyond NCR. Among these cases, 27 patients had suffered severe burns, and 21 less severe injuries.