Department of Health reported firecracker Related injuries have exceeded the 1,000 mark this year MANILA, Philippines -- The Department ...
Department of Health reported firecracker Related injuries have exceeded the 1,000 mark this year
MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Health on Monday reported that firecracker-related injuries have exceeded the 1,000 mark this year, with two deaths recorded so far.
The DOH, in its final tally on Monday, recorded a total of 1,018 firecracker-related injuries. Of the number, 997 were from actual firecrackers, mostly from piccolo, two from firecracker ingestion and 19 from stray bullets.
The two fatalities were a 12-year-old boy from Quezon City who sustained head injuries from a blast caused by used firecrackers he picked up, and a three-month old baby boy from Ilocos Sur who was hit in the head by a stray bullet while sleeping.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said in a briefing at the DOH-NCR office in Mandaluyong City that firecracker casualties this year involve 87 cases or nine percent higher than in the same period last year and eight percent higher than the five-year average.
“We really thought we’d be able to reduce it,” Ona said, stressing the need to review laws on firecrackers and other explosives as well as a stricter implementation of rules and regulations in regards to the firing of guns.
“(It) has yet to be discussed with stakeholders -- both the manufacturers and sellers as well as the public,” he further said.
“Hopefully we will be able to reduce and eliminate injuries secondary to our usual practice of celebrating our New Year,” he added.
The regions with the most firecracker-related cases include the National Capital Region or Metro Manila, with 587 casualties, Region 4A with 80 casualties, Region 6 with 73 casualties and Region 1 with 65 casualties.
Males dominated the casualties this year with a total of 818, while most of the firecracker injuries were sustained by passive users, at 363, Ona said.
He also said that there were 250 cases of children below age 10 who sustained injuries from firecrackers despite the agency’s constant warning through anti-firecracker drives catering to children.
A total of 843 cases of blasts or bursts did not require amputations, 25 cases did need amputations while 147 sustained eye injuries, he noted.
Among the top five firecrackers that caused most of the injuries this year were the piccolo with 359 casualties, unknown firecrackers at 118, kwitis at 95, pla-pla at 42 and five-star at 43.
The piccolo and 5-star are both considered as banned firecrackers by the Philippine National Police although many were openly sold in Metro Manila.
A total ban on firecrackers has yet to be implemented by the DOH although proposals of a ban have received favorable response from both the Senate and the Palace.
Last year, firecracker-related injuries were only at 931, of which 904 were from actual firecrackers, two from firecracker ingestion and 25 from stray bullets.