Come ‘Deepavali’ festival, the management of Joseph Eye Hospital, in coordination with the Fire Service and Rescue Department personnel, has been organising awareness programmes on safe handling of fire crackers so as to raise awareness on protecting the eyes, especially among children.
This year’s programme, organised for the seventh year in succession at the Hospital campus on Friday, attracted not only school students but also college students.
It is usually children who suffer from burns due to cracker-related incidents during the festival. “On an average, 20 children are treated on the ‘Deepavali’ festival day for problems in eyes caused by crackers,” said C. A. Nelson Jesudasan, Director of the Hospital. Last year, a girl child lost her vision after suffering an injury, he added.
Mayilvaganan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, inaugurated the awareness programme. T. Pandi, Assistant District Fire Officer, said that simple precautions would go a long way in avoiding accidents while handling fire crackers. He appealed to parents to accompany their children while bursting crackers.
A demonstration was held in which fire service personnel explained the procedure for bursting crackers.
The use of safe and long ‘agarbathis’ would ensure safety.
A little over 200 students from different schools and colleges participated in the programme. Pamphlets were distributed on the precautionary measures.
