Hyderabad: Diwali celebrations left 48 people with firecracker-related eye injuries at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital state-run hospital in Mehdipatnam in Hyderabad by early Monday. Of them, 10 were admitted for treatment, while the remaining 38 received outpatient care and were discharged.
According to reports The 10 were admitted as inpatients due to the severity of their injuries, while the remaining 38 received treatment in the outpatient department and were discharged.
The number of cases could increase, with hospital authorities monitoring the situation and keeping facilities ready to handle more patients. The injuries ranged from minor eye damage to serious cases requiring hospitalisation.
Reports further indicate that the hospital has been witnessing a similar rush of firecracker injury victims every Diwali, recording around 40 to 50 cases annually over the past five years. It treated 42 patients in 2021 and around 50 each in 2022 and 2023. Of the patients treated in 2022, 19 were admitted, while four underwent surgery. In 2023, eight of the 50 patients required inpatient care. In 2024, around 48 to 50 cases were reported, including 20 children, with eight patients requiring admission. The hospital recorded 48 cases again in 2025.
The hospital had made special arrangements to handle emergencies. Of its total capacity of around 550 beds, 20 beds were earmarked specifically for firecracker injury victims. Doctors, nursing staff and other medical personnel were kept on standby. Arrangements were also made to transport injured patients from districts to Hyderabad.
Doctors have advised parents to ensure that children burst crackers only under adult supervision. They have also cautioned people against holding firecrackers in their hands or attempting to relight unexploded crackers.
With Inputs from media