Dark side of Diwali dhamaka in Bangalore

Come Diwali, and incidents of eye injuries shoot up. This year it was no different and the city saw more than 60 such cases within the last two days.

Most of these patients suffered minor eye injuries and were treated on an outpatient basis. However, there were a few serious cases that needed hospitalisation. Some even risk losing their vision permanently.

Narayana Nethralaya treated 58 cases in the last two days, of which four were critical and have been operated upon. “All the four, including two children aged 9 and 11 years, have incurred rupture of the eyeballs. They have already been operated upon and are under observation. They are not doing too good, and whether or not they will get their partial or total vision back is uncertain as of now. Initially, they will be treated for eye infection; later, they may have to undergo a couple of surgeries,” said Dr Bhujang Shetty, chairman, Narayana Nethralaya. This year, the hospital treated more number of cases than last Diwali, he added.

Minto Eye Hospital had four cases in two days, of which two are serious. A 10-year-old boy suffered a corneal injury while bursting firecrackers and underwent surgery. Another patient, who incurred serious eye injuries, has been hospitalised.

Five eye injury cases were reported at Rangalakshmi Nethralaya since Monday evening, of which one required hospitalisation. “A six-year-old child from Yelahanka got haemorrhage bleeding in his right eye as he was hit by parts of a cracker. He was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday, and a procedure was carried out to clean his bleeding. Though he was discharged this morning, he will be having blurred vision for a week,” said Dr Venkat Subramanium, vitreo retinal surgeon, Rangalakshmi Nethralaya.

Four cases of eye injury were reported at Samprathi Eye Hospital, of which one was serious. “A six-year-old boy from Kumarapark West was trying to burst butterfly crackers. When they exploded, multiple foreign bodies hit his cornea. He was brought to the hospital on Tuesday night and underwent a minor surgery on Wednesday. Though he will be having blurred vision for a week, we are hoping that he will regain his vision,” said Dr Arun Samprathi, a surgeon at the hospital. Vasan Eye Care received six cases at both its centres. They could be treated in the OPD department itself.