Mumbai: Diwali celebrations turn hazardous; nine sustain minor burns

Carelessnessduring Diwali celebrations on Thursday resulted in minor burns for over nine people The oldest victim an 80yearold woman was admitted to the National Burns Centre AiroliConfirming the incidents Dr Sunil Keswani Medical Director at National Burns Centre said ldquoWe admitted two cases and three others with minor injuries from lighting flower pots anar were treated and discharged In one case an 80yearold woman from Powai suffered burns when her saree caught fire while lighting diyas In another a 35yearold woman from Koparkhairane burned her lower body while standing on a stool to hang a toran when her clothes caught fire from a diya on the floorrdquoldquoBoth patients admitted with 20 per cent burns to the legs lower back and buttocks are stable in the ICU We emphasise wearing tight cotton clothing like jeans or salwar with a tucked dupatta to prevent accidents as polyester melts and poses a higher fire riskrdquo Dr Keswani saidDr Keswani has advised people to use flowing water as an immediate remedy in case of burns and cautioned them to refrain from using any other home remediesWhen asked if the number of cases may go up Dr Keswarni said ldquoPublic has a tendency to visit their family doctors or nearby nursing homes soon after the incident and only after two to three days when the wound gets infected or is not healing they get referred to our centrerdquoCooper and Rajawadi casesOn Thursday evening three children in separate incidents from Juhu Andheri and Vile Parle between the age group of 10 to 12 years were rushed to Dr R N Cooper hospital in Vile Parle after they sustained mild corneal and lid abrasion while bursting firecrackersDr Charuta Mandke head of department of Ophthalmology of the civicrun hospital said ldquoThe three minors were fortunate that nothing major had happened My team could treat and discharge them immediately We also got a case of a 20yearold passerby who had a firecracker mild burnrdquoAvoid FirecrackersDr Wiqar Shaikh former professor of medicine Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals said that the ongoing Diwali festivity is bound to worsen the AQI particularly given the burning of firecrackers and stubble burning especially in North IndiaDr Shaikh said ldquoWe should avoid the use of firecrackers Although this is easier said than done it would be great if the public voluntarily gave up firecrackers during Diwali No organisation should be permitted to distribute free firecrackers particularly in the slum areas and chawlsWord of cautionDr Shaikh said ldquoSince people will inevitably be using firecrackers we should strictly ask the susceptible population such as pregnant women children the elderly and sick people to stay indoors and to keep their doors and windows closedrdquoldquoPeople suffering from respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis should ensure that they use their medications regularly during this period to keep their symptoms under control as well as prevent acute exacerbationsrdquo Dr Shaikh addedDr Shaikh said that most Western studies concluded that case fatality is associated with increased levels of Nitric Oxide NO and Nitrogen Dioxide NO2 and that long term exposure to air pollution affects the heart lung and blood vessels which can cause serious morbidities and mortalityrdquoDr Shaikh concluded that to control the rising AQI levels governmental agencies must address the increase in air pollution caused by firecrackers and stubble burning He emphasized the need for a strict ban and heavy penalties on both activities to curb the surge in illnesses and mortality associated with themBurns related helpline number 02227793333