Children make up nearly half of Deepavali eye-injury cases at Hyderabad hospital

Patients injured in firecracker-related incidents during Deepavali celebrations receive treatment at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Hyderabad on November 09, 2026. | Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur Nine-year-old Mokshit was waiting at the Burns Ward of the government-run Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Hyderabad, hoping to know whether he would require surgery after a firecracker exploded and a fragment struck his eye. The boy, who was brought from Bhadrachalam, was among the 10 patients admitted to the hospital following firecracker-related eye injuries during Deepavali celebrations.“My son was bursting a firecracker when suddenly a part of it flew off and hit his eye. We took him to a local hospital in Bhadrachalam, where the doctors said he might require surgery and advised us to take him to Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. We travelled all the way here and are now waiting for the doctors to examine him and decide on the further course of treatment,” said his mother, Lakshmi, who accompanied him along with her husband.Mokshit’s case is among several involving children reported at the hospital, with nearly half of the patients treated for firecracker-related eye injuries during Deepavali being minors. Of the 60 patients received by the hospital over two days (November 7 and 8) of the festival, 29 were children and 31 were adults.Dr. Modini Pandharpurkar, Superintendent of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, said the hospital recorded a similar number of cases to the same period last year, treating 54 patients. She expected the numbers to increase over the next two to three days as more patients from districts were likely to reach Hyderabad for treatment.Of the 60 patients, 21 sustained grievous injuries, while 39 were classified as having simple injuries. Ten patients required admission to the hospital. Of these, eight have been scheduled for surgery, while the remaining two do not require surgery but will undergo an emergency examination under anesthesia, Dr. Pandharpurkar said.She also pointed out that several patients were innocent bystanders who sustained injuries while walking on roads or standing near places where firecrackers were being burst. A range of firecrackers, including bullet bombs, mirchi bombs and rockets, were among the varieties associated with the injuries reported this year, Dr. Pandharpurkar added. Published - November 09, 2026 10:29 am IST