Safety Awareness Programme For Students

About 100 students and 30 teachers from various schools from city including neighborhood schools participated in Deepavali workshop on ‘First aid measurers following cracker injuries to the eye’ conducted by Radhatri Nethralaya.

The event was conducted for the 4th consecutive year on 17th October 2013.Dr. Vasumathy Vedantham (Medical Director) presented a power point presentation, demonstration and interaction session with students during the workshop. Sarojini Devi (Freedom fighter and President, Chinmaya Mission) distributed free first aid kits to the all the participants. 

Dr, Vasumathy said that motto of the workshop, students representatives of each school to share their workshop experiences during their assembly session in the school which will be create good impact among the students and also they know their preventive measures during firing of crackers. She said that 10,000 pamphlets on “Protect your eyes’ will be distributed to schools, colleges and public. Following are the inputs given by Dr.Vasumathy on ‘Protect your eyes’. 

She stated that the incidence of fireworks-related injuries during Diwali is increasing each year. The hands (40%), eyes (20%) and head and face (20%) are body areas most often involved. Contusions, lacerations, chemical injuries and foreign bodies are the most common injuries to eyes from fireworks, with approximately one third of the injuries resulting in permanent blindness, parents, community leaders and children should be educated on the hazards of fireworks and prevention as well as the first aid treatment of injuries, especially those involving the eyes. 

Her advice was to use eye protection such as plain glasses (with no power) that covers the eyes upto the eyebrows while bursting crackers or watching fireworks. Stock a first aid kit with a rigid eye shield and antibiotic eye drops before an eye injury happens and always keeping an adult by the side of children to supervise to use of all fireworks is safe.In case of Chemical burns to the eye wash hands properly before handling the patient’s eye. 

As a general rule, in cases of severe pain, reduced vision, or discoloration (black eye), following cracker injury, seek emergency medical care. Any of these symptoms could mean internal eye damage and might need emergency intervention for preservation of vision. For more details call 2433 2229, 2431 1550 and visit www.radhatrinethralaya.com