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Injuries from firecrackers rise to 581 as of Jan. 3

MANILA, Jan. 3 (PNA) -- The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 581 fireworks-related injuries as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, more than half of which were from the National Capital Region (NCR).

The figure is 328 cases (36 percent) lower than the five-year average from 2011 to 2015, and 323 cases (36 percent) lower than in the same period last year. Of the 581, more than half or 381 were reported from the NCR, led by Manila with 107 cases, Quezon City with 70, and Marikina with 27.

Males comprised 467 (81 percent) of the cases, while 372 (56 percent) are children less than 15 years old. The youngest victim is one year old, and the oldest, 71 years old. Most of those injured had been lighting firecrackers in the past. Of the 581, 302 suffered injuries to their hands, and 108 to their eyes.

Banned firecrackers accounted for 299 (52 percent) of the cases, led by the ‘piccolo’ with 186 (32 percent) of cases, followed by the ‘kwitis’ and ‘luces’. Based on the records, 125 “active” users aged less than 15 years admitted to lighting the ‘piccolo’.

The monitoring, which began on Dec. 21 and will end on Jan. 5, is done annually by 50 sentinel hospitals of the health department to see the trend through the years.

The health department has advised those injured by firecrackers to get tetanus shots immediately, which are offered free in government hospitals. (PNA)

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