WITH still a day left in the surveillance period of the Department of Health (DOH), the number of firecracker-related injuries for 2019 has already topped last year’s final tally of 340.

Based on the Fireworks-Related Injury Surveillance 2019 Report No. 14, there are now 357 firecracker-related injuries reported as of 6 a.m. January 4.

The DOH surveillance on firecracker-related injuries is set to end on January 5, 2020.

“This year’s cases is 23 cases (7%) increase when compared to the same time period in 2018 (334),” added the DOH.

Of those injured, the DOH said 257 sustained blast/burn injuries not requiring amputation, 90 eye injuries, and 14 blast/burn injuries requiring amputation.

Hands remain as the most injured body part with 120; followed by eyes with 91; and head with 45.

Legal fireworks kwitis (79), luces (39), and fountain (36) were found to be the top causes of injuries, while previous topnotcher piccolo, which is an illegal firecracker, accounted for 19 cases.

Almost half of the injuries happened in the National Capital Region with 172; followed by Western Visayas with 39; Ilocos Region with 31; and Calabarzon with 25.

In Metro Manila, most of the cases were from the City of Manila (52); followed by Quezon City (37); and Caloocan City (12).

Seven in 10 victims of firecrackers were males with 262 (73%).

The DOH report also pointed that nearly 3 in every 5 or 207 cases (58%) involved passive users, or those not using firecrackers; while 150 others were active firecracker users.

The number of fireworks ingestion cases remain at one.

There, however, were neither cases of stray bullet injury nor deaths reported due to firecracker-related injuries. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)