By Zishan Amiri
Srinagar, Apr 02: A grim fallout of the Sunday mayhem: as many as 35 civilians, mostly young boys, have suffered grievous eye injuries due to pellets fired by government forces with doctors saying that 70 percent of them might lose their eyesight.
On Monday, a doctor part of the team treating the injured civilians told The Kashmir Monitor that they may either completely or partially lose their vision.
On Sunday, post the three separate encounters that had taken place in Shopian and Anantnag districts, 45 civilians had suffered bullet and pellet injuries and were brought to the SMHS hospital for advanced treatments.
“Today, two more pellet-hit patients were brought to the hospital. Looking at the injuries, I believe at least, 70 percent of these victims’ eyesight will be affected in some or the other proportion, depending on the depth of the injury,” the doctor told The Kashmir Monitor.
Dr Saleem Tak, Medical Superintendent, however, said that the outcome of the injuries could only be ascertained “after a time of two to three weeks”.
“As of now, I cannot say anything about the injury status of the pellet victims,” he said, adding: “But, the hospital has received four bullet-hit patients so far, of which, one is critical and has been kept under intense medical care.”
The critical youth is a 17-year-old Muneeb Wani, and as per Tak, his injury is “life-threatening”.
On Sunday, over 150 civilians were injured due to the bullets, pellets and shells fired by the government forces.
Out of the 150, more than 60 of them were brought to the premier Srinagar hospitals like SMHS, SK Institute Soura and the Bone and Joints Hospital in Barzulla.
However, apart from the two pellet-hits that were admitted at the SMHS on Monday, no other hospitals in Srinagar have received any fresh patients.
The doctors at SKIMS Soura and Bone and Joints Hospital Barzulla also confirmed The Kashmir Monitor that all of them are “stable and out of danger.”
So far, four civilians have been killed by the government forces.
