Emergency medical services in Gujarat faced a sharp increase in calls during the Uttarayan festival. On Wednesday, EMRI 108 services handled 5,897 emergency medical cases. This number represents a significant 33% rise compared to a normal day's call volume.
Trauma Cases Show Dramatic Increase
A release from EMRI 108 services highlighted a major surge in trauma cases not involving vehicles. Normally, these cases average around 484 per day. On Uttarayan day, that number jumped to 1,313 cases. This marks a staggering 171% increase.
Senior officials linked this surge directly to festival activities. Kite-flying, movement on rooftops, and increased public gatherings contributed to the rise. The data revealed several alarming trends.
- Physical assault cases rose by a massive 284%.
- Cases involving falls from height increased by 92%.
- Crush injuries, along with electrocution and burns cases, saw an increase of over 1,000%.
Ahmedabad Hospitals Bear the Brunt
Statistics show that four major cities in Gujarat reported the bulk of these emergency cases. Ahmedabad led the list for both vehicular accidents and non-vehicular trauma incidents. Hospitals in the city experienced a noticeable rise in patient admissions.
Dr. Rakesh Joshi, the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, provided specific details. By the morning of January 15, the hospital had received 42 patients with injuries related to kite strings. Of these, 25 received treatment as outpatients.
"The primary injury sites were the nose, fingers, and face," Dr. Joshi stated. He further explained that 17 patients required admission for suturing procedures. The majority of these patients were male, and eight were children.
Falls from Height and Road Accidents Add to the Toll
The hospital also attended to 24 cases of falls from height. Eight of these patients needed admission. Two required ventilator support, and two others needed oxygen assistance. Officials noted that 20 of these patients were male.
An additional 50 patients arrived at the hospital following road traffic accidents. Officials from Sola Civil Hospital reported that they attended to a total of 15 patients on Wednesday due to injuries specifically linked to Uttarayan celebrations.
The data clearly illustrates the impact of festival activities on public health services. Emergency responders and hospitals across Gujarat worked under increased pressure to manage the spike in cases.
