German medical team: Kitchen ‘most dangerous’ place

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 24

A German medical team, which has performed many free-of-cost reconstructive surgeries at various camps in the Valley during the past two years, has come up with some observations on health hazards faced by Valley residents.

Ulrich Balke, coordinator of INTERPLAST, a group which has been conducting these surgeries, said several locals had approached them for reconstructive surgeries and based on these cases, they had found that kitchen was the “most dangerous place” in the Valley.

Balke said they mostly received cases of severe facial burn injuries due to gas and kerosene-related explosions caused by faulty appliances in kitchens.

“We have treated women with severe burn injuries that were mostly worsened by use of nylon scarves. If women had used cotton scarves, burns could have been less severe. Nylon and fire is a deadly combination,” he added. Balke said women were in the habit of carrying a child while cooking, which was every dangerous and at times, children too had become victims.

Besides accidents in kitchens, he said injuries caused by bears and high voltage electric shocks were a matter of grave concern. He said such accidents in kitchens and electric wires were unheard of in places like Germany.

Meanwhile, INTERPLAST will hold its third consecutive free camp in as many years from April 28 to May 8 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital, Rainawari, even as screening of patients started today.

Khurshid Ahmad Pakthoon, a businessman, who has also been coordinating these camps and introduced the team to the Valley, said he was impressed by the “selfless” work of INTERPLAST.