Monday, December 31, 2007 DOH 3 on 'red alert' By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Health (DOH) is ready for emergencies that may arise during the revelries for New Year, said Rene Franco, Health Education and Promotion Officer 3 of the DOH's Center for Health Development (CHD) 3, in an interview with Sun.Star Pampanga over the weekend.
Franco said all DOH-retained hospitals are already on red alert status to receive and attend to possible victims of firecracker explosions.
He said the CHD-3 has alerted the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital (JBLMH) in the city; the Bataan General Hospital; Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Hospital in Cabanatuan City and its extension in Talavera, Nueva Ecija in preparation of the New Year celebrations.
The DOH though hopes that the five cases of firecracker-related injuries recorded in Central Luzon as of December 27 would not increase as midnight of December 31 comes nearer.
Franco said the five cases of minor injuries were in Tarlac and Zambales. The victims were wounded while igniting assorted firecrackers such as "piccolo", "baby rocket", and "kwitis."
Until January 4, 2007, he said, 375 cases of firecracker-related injuries were recorded all throughout the region. Of this number, various medical institutions in Pampanga reported 43 victims, while JBLMH reported 34.
Franco reiterated that the government has banned the use and sale of "boga," an improvised cannon made of PVC pipes and fired using denatured alcohol.
He said "boga" may look safe, but it also leads to accidents as it may explode and burn people close to it.
The DOH recorded a total of 870 firecracker-related injuries in the country last year. The most number of injuries, 107, were caused by "kwitis" or rockets; 90 were due to "piccolo," which can be ignited by rubbing the firecracker against a flat surface; 82 were due to "five star;" while 64 were due to "boga", according to DOH officials.
