Firecracker injuries reach 245—DOH

Just hours before the stroke of midnight and the climax of New Year’s Day revelry, firecracker-related injuries and those caused by stray bullets and the ingestion of fireworks reached 245, the Department of Health (DOH) said. In a bulletin posted on its website, based on reports from 50 hospitals nationwide, the DOH said injuries caused by exploding firecrackers have reached 231. http://www.bert.doh.gov.ph/kontrapaputok/images/stories/header/dec31.pdf There were also nine cases of injuries caused by stray bullets, and fives cases of fireworks ingestion, one of which resulted in the victim’s death. According to the bulletin, the illegal firecracker “piccolo" remains the top cause of firecracker-related injuries, accounting for 117 cases. Twenty-three cases were caused by kwitis, 17 by 5-star, 9 by whistle bomb, 9 by boga, and eight by pla-pla. The government has banned the firecrackers piccolo, 5-star, bogaand pla-pla. The DOH bulletin also noted that victims from one to 10 years old are still the most vulnerable to injuries caused by exploding firecrackers, with 94 cases. Of the victims of firecracker explosions, 178 sustained burns, wile 18 sustained burns that required the amputation of some body part. Thirty-five victims sustained eye injuries. Meanwhile, of the nine victims of stray-bullets, seven were male. The DOH noted that most of the cases occurred on the streets, and this is being investigated by the Philippine National Police. Five of the victims who ingested fireworks had swallowed piccolo, and one of the victims died as a result of the ingestion. The DOH said that so far, the figure is about 51 cases or 27 percent higher than the average number of cases noted in the past five years. The DOH started its Kampanya Kontra Paputok on December 21, which it will undertake until January 5, 2011. But compared to last year only, this year’s figure is lower by 21 cases. Of the 17 regions, the National Capital Region reported the most number of firecracker injury cases. At 118, this was almost half of all cases. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, on the other hand, recorded a single case of injury caused by firecrackers. Meanwhile, among the hospitals monitored, Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center and East Avenue Medical Center recorded the highest number of cases. DOH Secretary Enrique Ona earlier predicted that, going by the rate of the recorded casualties since December 21, the figures could reach 900 to 1,000 by New Year’s Day. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/209254/doh-firecracker-injuries-now-at-173-may-hit-1k-by-january-1 In 2009, the DOH recorded 870 firecracker-related injuries, 35 stray bullet injuries, and two ingestions of watusi. The firecrackers that the Philippine National Police banned in 2007 and still prohibit this year are: Lolo Thunder, Super Lolo, Bawang (large), Pla-pla, Watusi, Kwiton, Giant Whistle, Judas Belt (large), Og, and Atomic Bomb. —DM/TJD, GMANews.TV