Delhi hospitals report fewer burn cases due to crackers this Diwali

This Diwali, Delhi hospitals reported fewer cases of burns due to crackers and diyas (clay lamps) as compared to before the pandemic, according to three major government hospitals. In preparation for Diwali, hospitals across the city had earmarked beds, kept staff on standby, and added counters to admit people with burn injuries.

Lok Nayak Hospital, near Delhi gate, received only one case--that of a child with 10% burns due to a cracker bursting in his hand--according to senior doctors at the hospital.

“Before the pandemic, we saw between 30 and 40 burn injuries on the night of Diwali, so we earmarked 40 beds this year as well. Last year, the hospital wasn’t admitting any patient other than those suffering from Covid-19, so I do not have a comparison between this year’s numbers and the last,” the doctor said.

At Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, the biggest government hospital in the trans-Yamuna region, 18 persons with burn injuries were brought to the hospital emergency section. “But none of them had severe burns; they all had less than 10% burns. All the patients were given first aid, their burns were dressed, and they were sent home. There were no admissions this year,” said a senior doctor at the hospital. GTB Hospital too was earmarked for the treatment of Covid-19 last year.

Last November, Delhi had seen the worst surge in Covid-19 cases till then, reporting over 8,500 cases a day at its peak. After that, Delhi saw a massive second wave when over 28,000 cases were recorded in a day in April this year.

Safdarjung Hospital, which has one of the best burn treatment units in the city, received 50 patients with Diwali-related injuries on Thursday, of whom seven needed to be admitted. “The rest had minor burns. However, this year we saw more cases than last year when people mostly stayed home because of Covid-19. Last year, we saw 28 cases, of which eight needed hospital admission. The numbers have definitely gone down as compared to before the pandemic,” said a senior doctor at the hospital.