Few firecracker injuries could be ‘lull before the storm’
By JERRIE M. ABELLA, GMANews.TV
12/31/2009 | 08:41 PM
On his New Year's Eve visit at the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC), the third on his list of public hospitals to visit in the day's itinerary, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque was both optimistic and wary about the few cases of firecracker-related injuries reported so far.
"I'm starting to get nervous. Is this the lull before the storm?" Duque said after doing similar rounds at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) and Tondo Medical Center (TMC), as he found out that the three hospitals have not recorded any new cases of injuries at the time he did the rounds.
Duque and other DOH officials started visiting Metro Manila hospitals at around 4 p.m. Thursday to personally check on the hospitals' readiness to attend to injuries caused by firecrackers for the New Year celebrations.
"Wala pang kaso. Maaga pa… Sana hindi na madagdagan. Kung anuman, nakahanda tayo for the worst-case scenario," Duque told reporters at the POC as he inspected the hospital's medicines and equipment for treating injuries related to fireworks.
(There are no new cases. It's still early. We hope the numbers don't increase. Nevertheless, we are ready for the worst-case scenario.)
The latest data from the DOH pegged the number of injuries caused by fireworks nationwide at 235, including four persons hit by stray bullets and a person who ingested 15 pieces of watusi (dancing firecracker). Tayag revealed that the 32-year old woman who ingested the poisonous substance already checked out of the hospital against the doctor’s advice.
The National Capital Region still has the highest concentration of injuries at 141 cases, or over 60% of the total count.
Almost half of the total number of recorded cases, however, involved children below ten years old. Of the 105 cases, 51 of the children sustained injuries due to piccolo, a kind of firecracker that has been banned by the police due to the high number of injuries it has caused in the last few years.
Last year, the DOH recorded over 700 cases of fireworks-related injuries during the holidays.
Before Duque's hospital visits Thursday, National Epidemiology Center director Dr. Eric Tayag said the JRRMMC recorded five new cases of minor injuries, while both the TMC and POC have recorded no new cases for the whole day.
"It's possible that the people decided, with the few firecrackers that they have, to use the fireworks at the most important time, which is 12 midnight," Tayag said, adding that it is still too early to tell if the casualties will remain low.
Based on the most recent newscast of GMA News's 24 Oras, the DOH official's visit to a fourth hospital, the East Avenue Medical Center, also ended on a happy note, as the hospital also has not recorded new cases of injuries.
The Quirino Memorial Medical Center meanwhile has handled only six cases of injuries to date from last year's total of 21.
For its part, the POC boasts of having one of the most complete sets of medicines and equipment to treat injuries.
POC head nurse Laura Libunao said the hospital is equipped with the needed implants of various sizes, pin cutters, bone saw, mallet and other necessary equipment.
“After midnight pa usually dumadami ang cases, (between) 2 a.m to 6 a.m.," Libunao said.
Based on its records, the POC has recorded only four cases of injuries since December 21, two of which were caused by piccolo, one due to another firecracker called super-lolo, and another case of burns sustained by lighting a firecracker.
The POC has also not recorded any cases of firecracker injury-related amputation for this year. Last year, the POC recorded a total of 18 cases of injuries caused by fireworks, down from 20 in 2007.
A total of 18 hospital personnel, including 10 doctors, are on duty at the POC until Friday. – JJV/HS, GMANews.TV
"I'm starting to get nervous. Is this the lull before the storm?" Duque said after doing similar rounds at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) and Tondo Medical Center (TMC), as he found out that the three hospitals have not recorded any new cases of injuries at the time he did the rounds.
Duque and other DOH officials started visiting Metro Manila hospitals at around 4 p.m. Thursday to personally check on the hospitals' readiness to attend to injuries caused by firecrackers for the New Year celebrations.
"Wala pang kaso. Maaga pa… Sana hindi na madagdagan. Kung anuman, nakahanda tayo for the worst-case scenario," Duque told reporters at the POC as he inspected the hospital's medicines and equipment for treating injuries related to fireworks.
(There are no new cases. It's still early. We hope the numbers don't increase. Nevertheless, we are ready for the worst-case scenario.)
The latest data from the DOH pegged the number of injuries caused by fireworks nationwide at 235, including four persons hit by stray bullets and a person who ingested 15 pieces of watusi (dancing firecracker). Tayag revealed that the 32-year old woman who ingested the poisonous substance already checked out of the hospital against the doctor’s advice.
The National Capital Region still has the highest concentration of injuries at 141 cases, or over 60% of the total count.
Almost half of the total number of recorded cases, however, involved children below ten years old. Of the 105 cases, 51 of the children sustained injuries due to piccolo, a kind of firecracker that has been banned by the police due to the high number of injuries it has caused in the last few years.
Last year, the DOH recorded over 700 cases of fireworks-related injuries during the holidays.
Before Duque's hospital visits Thursday, National Epidemiology Center director Dr. Eric Tayag said the JRRMMC recorded five new cases of minor injuries, while both the TMC and POC have recorded no new cases for the whole day.
"It's possible that the people decided, with the few firecrackers that they have, to use the fireworks at the most important time, which is 12 midnight," Tayag said, adding that it is still too early to tell if the casualties will remain low.
Based on the most recent newscast of GMA News's 24 Oras, the DOH official's visit to a fourth hospital, the East Avenue Medical Center, also ended on a happy note, as the hospital also has not recorded new cases of injuries.
The Quirino Memorial Medical Center meanwhile has handled only six cases of injuries to date from last year's total of 21.
For its part, the POC boasts of having one of the most complete sets of medicines and equipment to treat injuries.
POC head nurse Laura Libunao said the hospital is equipped with the needed implants of various sizes, pin cutters, bone saw, mallet and other necessary equipment.
“After midnight pa usually dumadami ang cases, (between) 2 a.m to 6 a.m.," Libunao said.
Based on its records, the POC has recorded only four cases of injuries since December 21, two of which were caused by piccolo, one due to another firecracker called super-lolo, and another case of burns sustained by lighting a firecracker.
The POC has also not recorded any cases of firecracker injury-related amputation for this year. Last year, the POC recorded a total of 18 cases of injuries caused by fireworks, down from 20 in 2007.
A total of 18 hospital personnel, including 10 doctors, are on duty at the POC until Friday. – JJV/HS, GMANews.TV
