Don't make this Avurudu :

An accident waiting to happen

by Carol Aloysius

Like all festivals, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a family event. Children are given a place of importance and are often seen accompanying their parents on shopping sprees to buy toys, books, new clothes and fireworks... the special something that helps start the festival with a bang. Yet, amid these carefree happy celebrations there also lurks the ominous spectre of accidents and injuries, which soar to new heights during the New Year festivities, and lead to tragic outcomes.

Ironically, many of these accidents do not occur on the roads as in the past. They happen mostly because of unsafe home environments, falls from varying heights, un-premeditated violence caused by excessive alcohol consumption and family brawls, and in some instances a sudden change from a sedentary lifestyle to one that calls for vigorous activity.

Here, Director National Hospital Sri Lanka (NHSL), Dr ANIL JASINHE, tells Sunday Observer how these accidents, which leave lasting adverse impacts on the health of the victims, could occur and how they can be avoided.

Excerpts...

Q. According to recent statistics, accidents and injuries reported in hospitals across the island usually peak during a festive season such as the National New Year. How many such accidents occurred last year?

A. Last year (2014) a total of 354 persons were seen and treated in our OPDs during just two days i.e. April 13 and 14. Of them, 157 were serious enough to warrant hospitalisation.

Q. Do you see a new trend in such accidents?

A. Yes. Injuries from falls have now overtaken the number of road traffic accidents which have declined. There were only 61 cases, a decline of 26% during the two days of New Year last year due to our awareness raising programmes among the public at large including school children. In comparison, 105 persons were admitted for falls of different types.

Q. What factors contributed to these falls?

A. Some occur when people whitewash walls or clean rooftops for the New Year. Since they climb high ladders to do this work, if the ladder hasn't been placed on firm ground, it could slip and the person standing on it could fall to the ground. If he were to fall onto a hard surface such as a concrete floor, or on stony ground, he could be seriously injured. Apart from this, the paint from the bucket can also splash onto his face and cause trauma to the eyes.

Q. Are injuries from faulty electrical appliances also common at this time? I recently read that women are increasingly becoming victims of such injuries.

A. Yes today, due to their husbands being away at work most of the day, many housewives have learned to change a damaged bulb or fix an electrical gadget that works in fits and starts such as a rice cooker or blender, on their own. But this is not a safe practise, since they can easily suffer from an electric shock. Changing an electric bulb may look like an easy job, but if the person changing the bulb does not switch off the light first, the bulb could burst and the pieces of glass could pierce the eyes and cause a serious eye injury, even blindness. Likewise, if the electrical wire of the juice blender is faulty, it is best to leave it to a professional electrician to attend to it, without experimenting with it.

Q. What accidents occur while preparing the avurudu kaema?

A. Such accidents occur when cooking on open hearths, which expose one to injuries from flying sparks.

If hot oil while cooking kavum or kokis splatters on the faces it can cause facial burns. Children who are near these cooking areas can also be exposed to such dangers.

Q. Sudden exertion. Can this too lead to falls or heart attacks?

A. Yes. Urban housewives who lead sedentary lives, if suddenly called upon to perform vigorous activities such as sweeping the garden, drawing water from the well and entertaining a large number of guests, when they return to their gamey gedera for the New Year, can develop hypertension or even get a heart attack.

Q. Family brawls have also resulted in acts of unpremeditated violence with women and even children at the butt end. Your comments?

A. Usually at New Year, men tend to consume too much liquor and lose their tempers over trivial domestic matters. Women are often the target of these domestic disputes. The violence perpetrated on her may be so severe she may require need to be hospitalised.

In other instances, too many drinks can result in fights among the males in the same household ending in one or more being stabbed with a sharp instrument. Last year we had 31 violence related cases on the two days of New Year.

Q. Injuries resulting from recreational activities also soar during this time. Why?

A. Some are caused from falls while climbing grease poles. Others when climbing trees. Still others while doing a cycle race. Tug of war contests between two opposing groups can also cause over exertion and lead to health risks.

Q. Can these health risks be mitigated if not prevented?

A. You can mitigate them in the following ways:

In the case of grease pole contests, organisers can reduce the impact of the fall from these high poles, by placing a rubber foam mattress on the ground to minimise spine injuries or injuries to the legs or head. If they are injured, they should be taken to the nearest hospital and treated.

Those participating in races or cycling contests must also be 100 percent physically fit. If they suffer from preconditions such as hypertension or heart problems they must not take part in cycling, racing or even tug of war contests as over - exertion can aggravate these conditions.

Q. What are the health risks of eating too many sweet meats during the New Year?

A. The consequences are long term as they can lead to diabetes and cholesterol. But eating unhygienic food and drinking impure water is another matter. It can cause diarrohea, dysentery and typhoid. Make sure the food is safe and covered at all times.

Q. When it comes to New Year injuries, children are also prone to a high number of injuries. What is the most common of these injuries?

A. Earlier it was from lighting crackers, but the numbers have dwindled to our awareness raising programmes for adults. Last year we had only three cases of firecracker injuries.

But this can be brought down to zero if parents don't let their children light crackers unsupervised or allow them to light explosive crackers such as the batta or thunmulla. If they explode while being lit, it can badly injure one's fingers and even blind a person.

Q. Family picnics? Sight seeing trips? How safe are they at this time around?

A. As long as you travel in road worthy vehicles driven by a licenced driver who has sober habits, there is no need to worry. Long distance driving should be avoided as the roads are not always well lit outside the city and speeding vehicles can cause accidents.

Q. Do you have a message to the public on ensuring an accident free New Year?

A. While accidents at this time are inevitable, they can be greatly reduced, if obvious risks are avoided. In the event of an accident, however minor, our out patients services are freely available at all times of the day and night.

Finally, keeping your home environments safe can allow you to enjoy celebrating the festive season to its fullest.