Chandigarh, Oct 23 — Firecracker-related injuries continued to pour in at PGIMER following Diwali celebrations, with 53 new cases reported since Tuesday morning, taking the city’s total count to 368, officials said.
Of the new admissions, 43 involved eye injuries and 10 were burn cases. The hospital’s Advanced Eye Centre has so far handled 69 cases related to Diwali, including 26 between October 20 and 21, 30 on Tuesday, and 13 more by Wednesday evening.
Dr. S.S. Pandav, head of ophthalmology, described the situation as “deeply unfortunate.” “Despite repeated awareness campaigns, children and adults continue to suffer sight-threatening injuries from crackers. Parents must ensure proper supervision to prevent such tragedies,” he said.
Among the 30 patients treated on Tuesday, 27 were men and three women. Seventeen sustained self-inflicted injuries, while 13 were bystanders. Most victims hailed from Chandigarh and nearby states — 11 from the city, six from Punjab, five each from Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and three from Uttar Pradesh.
Doctors said 13 patients had closed-globe and 17 had open-globe eye injuries, mostly affecting one eye. Two patients suffered injuries to both eyes. The victims ranged from five to 58 years of age; 18 were children. Two have undergone surgical repair, and two more surgeries are scheduled.
Meanwhile, the plastic surgery department reported 17 firecracker-related burns and blast injuries, including 10 new on Wednesday. “Seven of them had hand injuries due to crackers bursting in the hand, three sustained facial burns, and two required orthoplastic intervention for foot injuries,” a hospital official noted. Five patients underwent surgeries, and five others with minor burns were treated and discharged.
