'Major hospitals in Delhi report less burn cases than last Diwali'

Major hospitals in the national capital reported less number of burn cases this Diwali than recorded the previous year, officials said on Monday.

Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital, which has the largest burn unit in the country, received 62 patients who had suffered Diwali festivities related burn injuries out of which 11 patients were admitted, they said.

This is mainly due to awareness and campaigning by the government, officials said.

"Only 11 patients were admitted while the rest were discharged after giving first-aid," Dr Sunil Gupta, Medical Superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital said.

The number of cases we received this year is "around 20 per cent less" compared to figures last year, he said.

The RML Hospital received 22 cases. All of them had suffered minor burns due to bursting of crackers. None of the patients had to be admitted, officials said.

"This year we have received almost 40 cent less number of Diwali-related burn cases in casualty wards," Dr Manoj Kumar Jha, conultant in the Burns and Plastic Surgery department at the RML hospital said.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) received only two burn injury cases related to Diwali on Sunday night and no one had to be admitted, a senior official said.

Doctors at other hospitals also said the impact of the polluted air is "still bad" but it "would be to early to say that there has been an increase in fresh cases".

"Because of the bad air quality, patients who already suffer from asthma, bronchitis or are allergic to dust have been turning up at the hospital. So there are hardly any fresh cases. A rise in the cases of difficulty in breathing, runny nose, sore throat and chest infections and aggravated asthma are usually seen post Diwali celebrations," a senior doctor from the department of respiratory medicine at the RML Hospital said.

Besides, children and elderly people facing breathing trouble also have been visiting the OPD, he said.

Dr Hasnain Reza, head of Accident and Emergency at Fortis hospital here, said his department saw over 100 people who have suffered injuries from fire or crackers or something related to Diwali festivities.

"Yesterday and today, we have have treated elderly people for breathing difficulties. These occur because of the overall air pollutants and the chemicals in the crackers. The effect of the crackers in terms of pollutants remains for a few days. Eye injuries include itching or loss of vision," he said.

"Overall injuries have not declined. The air in Delhi-NCR was in the very poor category which was recorded at the Lodhi observatory today. This contributed to the overall cases we saw," he said.