DOH records six firecracker injuries

THE New Year campaign of the Department of Health (DOH) dubbed as “Walang Batang Magpapaputok” was off to a bad start as six injuries, all minors, have been recorded by its National Epidemiology Center (NEC) in just two days.

In its Kontra Paputok 2010 Surveillance Update report, the DOH-NEC reported that from the period of 6 a.m. of December 21 to 6 a.m. of December 23, there are already six victims of firecrackers reported by different DOH-sentinel hospitals.

“There were six cases reported. Ages ranged from four to 13 years, with a mean age of eight,” stated the NEC report.

Injuries this year were all results of the victims being active users or those who directly handled the firecrackers.

It added that all were caused by an illegal firework, which is piccolo.

All six had sustained injuries in their hands although it did not require amputations.

The six cases, though, is found to be eight cases or 57 percent lower than the same period last year.

Three of the injuries occurred in the highly-populated National Capital Region (NCR) while two were reported in the Cordillera Administrative Region and another one in Cagayan Valley. (AMN/Sunnex)