Fireworks-related injuries reach 760

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau (DOH-EB) on Sunday reported that the number of fireworks-related injuries rose to 760 as the 15-day monitoring and surveillance reached its 13th day.

DOH-EB Director IV Ira Asuncion report said based on the "Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction (APIR) 2015" campaign, the total number of fireworks-related injuries was lower by 18 percent or 168 cases compared with the five-year average from 2010-2014 for the same period.

Asuncion also said that the number of fireworks-related injuries from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan. 3, 2016 was lower by 79 cases or 9 percent than the recorded 839 fireworks-related incident in 2015.

“Majority of the cases or a total of 427 equivalent to 56 percent were from the National Capital Region (NCR),” Asuncion said.

The DOH-EB director said that there were three additional cases of stray bullet incidents involving a 77-year-old man from Barangay Asuncion, Cabaywa, Davao del Norte who was hit in the chest while at home; a 12-year-old girl from Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City, who was just watching a fireworks display when she was hit by stray bullet in the left foot; and a 37-year-old woman in Kamansi, Mabini, Cebu City who was walking in the street when hit in the head.

Meanwhile, the firecracker ingestion cases remained at zero and there were no additional death monitored in the DOH hospitals.

DOH-EMB said that 337 or 45 percent of the 760 fireworks related injuries were caused by piccolo while some were injured by kwitis, luces and 5-star.

Most of the incidents were monitored in Manila with 135 recorded injured, followed by Quezon City with 85 cases; Mandaluyong, 52; Marikina, 37; Valenzuela, 25; Pasig and Navotas, 20 each; and Caloocan, 13.

DOH Chief Janette Garin said the huge percent of cases happened in NCR since people have easy access to prohibited firecrackers there.