City enjoys Holi celebrations, minor injuries reported at hospitals

The city's public hospitals saw several minor Holi-related injuries on Monday, most of which were treated in the out-patient departments without the need for admission.

KEM Hospital in Parel saw 40 patients of which two were serious enough to be admitted.

"The two cases were related to road traffic accidents under the influence of alcohol. All other patients were treated and sent home. Ten patients had eye problems related to colours," said Dr Avinash Supe, Dean of KEM hospital and Director, Medical Education and Major Hospitals. Six medico-legal cases were registered in the city.

Colour and bhang-related injuries tend to be the most common following Holi celebration.

State-run JJ Hospital saw around 30 cases of Holi-related injuries of which two patients needed admission. "One patient was a 60-year-old male with a hip fracture and another a 30-year-old male with a head injury," said Dr TP Lahane, dean of the hospital.

Sion Hospital saw 18 cases of minor injuries and Cooper hospital saw another dozen cases. St George hospital in Fort and GT Hospital saw 14 and 10 cases of minor injuries each.

"The dry colour powder can go into the lungs and cause allergies, asthma and even lung diseases. Skin eruptions, redness in the eyes and sudden breathlessness are the most common symptoms of allergic reactions," said Dr Altaf Patel, Director of medicine at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre.

The increased usage of organic colours is believed to have played a role in bringing down injuries. The city also saw a trend of eco-friendly celebrations with many organisers sticking to only colours in an attempt to prevent undue wastage of water.