RP hospitals on alert for firecracker victims - report

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health has placed government hospitals on "Code White" alert Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1 to ensure prompt emergency services to revelers. In Western Visayas, online news site The News Today reported that doctors will be particularly wary of fireworks-related injuries. Dr Erwin Solas, regional coordinator of "Fourmula Kontra Paputok" in Western Visayas, said the four dates are critical as people celebrate Christmas and the New Year with firecrackers and pyrotechnics. Solas said victims would be reported through a nationwide registry. He said that in Western Visayas, health department records show victims of firecrackers are mostly children 10 years old and below, followed by youths and adolescents 11 to 20 years old. DOH 6 OIC regional director Ariel Valencia said that in 2007, Western Visayas was ranked third among the top three regions in the country with the highest cases of firecracker-related injuries. Valencia said Metro Manila was the highest followed by Ilocos. "Majority of these cases are males and what is worse is that about 35% of those injured belong to children 10 years old and below," he said. As to gender, the DOH 6 record of 2007 firecracker injuries showed that 6 percent were females, and 94 percent were males. The DOH warned the public against using fireworks/firecrackers during the holidays, and urged local government units to enact local ordinances to ban the use of firecrackers in residential areas. Valencia also expressed hopes that this year's record would be lower compared to the previous years. He urged the public to avoid firecrackers and pyrotechnics and instead use other safe gadgets like the "torotot" (trumpet) to create noise. - GMANews.TV