397 burn cases reported at major Delhi hospitals during Diwali

New Delhi: Nearly 400 patients with burn injuries were treated at major hospitals in Delhi during Diwali, with cases ranging from minor burns to severe injuries requiring intensive care and surgery, data released by the hospitals showed on Monday, November 9.

AIIMS-Delhi recorded 42 Diwali-related burn injuries, including 11 major cases, according to data compiled by its Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery till 11 am on Monday.

Of the 42 patients, four suffered major burns requiring ICU admission, while seven were admitted to the ward. The remaining 31 sustained minor burns.

Five patients underwent operations, while eight were still admitted to the hospital, including one in critical condition, the hospital said.

The youngest patient was five years old, while an eight-year-old child with 45 per cent burns was reported to be critical, it said.

The hospital recorded 37 firecracker-related burn injuries; two cases were attributed to potash burns, including that of a 13-year-old.

At Safdarjung, most patients above 12

At Safdarjung Hospital, 135 patients with minor burn injuries visited the outpatient department on November 7 and 8, which included 129 cases related to firecrackers and six to diyas.

Thirty-five patients were below 12 years of age, while 101 were above 12 years.

The hospital also admitted seven patients with major burn injuries over the two-day period. Five cases were related to firecrackers and two to diyas.

One of the patients was below 12 years of age, while six were above 12 years. All seven patients were from Delhi.

Most RML patients discharged

The Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital treated 41 patients with burn injuries since 9 am on Saturday, of whom 18 suffered injuries due to firecrackers, Sameek Bhattacharya, professor and head of burns and plastic surgery, said.

Eight patients required hospitalisation, while the remaining were discharged with advice to follow up at the outpatient department.

Of the 18 patients with firecracker-related injuries, two were admitted.

The extent of burn injuries ranged from 1 to 2 per cent to as high as 65 per cent of the body surface area, he said.

Most firecracker-related injuries involved relatively small areas, primarily the hands and face. Around 10 to 12 of the 41 patients were children, though the figures were not exact, Bhattacharya said.

Women largest group among GTB patients

The Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital reported 172 patients with firecracker, burn and other Diwali-related injuries between Sunday and Monday morning. Of these, 25 were children and 56 were women, while 34 patients suffered eye injuries and were treated at the eye department.

The remaining patients primarily suffered skin burns. All the patients were discharged after medical care, and no burn or firecracker-related death or admission was reported at the hospital.

The combined number of burn injury cases reported by the four hospitals stood at 397 – 42 at AIIMS, 142 at Safdarjung Hospital, 41 at RML Hospital and 172 at GTB Hospital.

Separately, the Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at AIIMS received nearly 110 patients with eye injuries on Sunday and the early hours of Monday, with the majority suffering firecracker-related ocular injuries.

Of these, 72 patients had non-sight-threatening injuries and were managed conservatively, while 18 suffered corneal perforations and lacerations and underwent surgical intervention.

The majority of those affected were children and young adults, the hospital said.

The hospitals had deployed additional medical teams and emergency facilities to manage the expected surge in festival-related injuries.

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