SRINAGAR – In occupied Kashmir, sixty percent of the people who suffered eye injuries due to the pellets fired by Indian forces on protesters during the ongoing mass uprising have very bleak chances to regain eyesight, doctors say.
Dr Tariq Qureshi head of the department of Ophthalmology SMHS Hospital told media men that of the 850 pellets injured admitted to the hospital, eyesight of six of the patients whose eyes were grievously injured with pellets could not be recovered.
He said that 15 patients had completely lost eyesight in one of their eyes.“So far we have admitted almost 850 patients who were bearing pellet injuries in their eyes. Six of them have been completely blinded while almost 15 patients have one eye completely blinded,” Dr Qureshi said.
He said that almost 55-60 percent of the patients who were following the checkup had bleak chances to recover eyesight in their one eye, KMS reported. “We are treating them and trying our best to restore their eyesight. But I personally think that in 50-60 percent patients in spite of having gone through surgery the chances of recovery of eyesight is bleak or zero,” he added.
He further said that there were as many as 44 patients who had both their eyes injured. “Pellet is a 4mm pebble and it gets scattered when fired. It touches the ground and carries dust which ultimately can lead infection among the patients. It can lead to double perforation and damage the eye cornea and lens,” he said.-Online
