THE number of firecracker-related injuries reached 148 as of Dec. 30, the ninth day of the Department of Health’s “Iwas-Paputok Injury Reduction” campaign.
So far, no additional case of stray bullets has been recorded and fireworks ingestion is still at zero based on the reports submitted by DoH’s sentinel hospitals.
“The 148 cases recorded so far was 68 cases, or 31 percent, lower than the five-year (2010-2014) average and 28 cases, or 16 percent, lower than the same period last year,” said DoH spokesperson Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy.
From the total number of cases, 120, or 83 percent, involved children less than 14 years old. Of them, 110 suffered hand injuries. There were 14 eye and head injuries through the firecrackers.
A total of 107 injuries were caused by piccolo, a banned firecracker which is popular among children. This kind of firecracker, which looks like a match, is sold by pieces in small stores. Other firecrackers included “kwitis,” Five Star, and other lesser-known types.
By area, Metro Manila is the topnotcher so far with 67 cases, followed by Bicol with 27 cases; Davao with 15; Calabarzon with nine cases; Soccsksargen seven; Ilocos and Cordillera Administrative Region, six cases each; Western Visayas fives cases; Central Luzon three cases; and Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas.
In Metro Manila, the most number of cases was recorded in Manila with 22 cases. It is followed by Quezon City with 16 cases; Mandaluyong, nine cases; Las Piñas, five cases; and Parañaque, four cases.
The comparative firecracker-related injuries surveillance started since Dec. 21 which coincided with the declaration by the DoH that all its retained hospitals and facilities are placed under Code White Alert status.
Under Code White, the hospitals and its personnel are ordered to be ready in receiving patients and the equipment as well as logistics are also prepared to provide immediate response to any health eventualities.
The DoH has repeatedly urged the public to refrain from using illegal firecrackers and instead choose to celebrate through safer alternatives.