New Year injuries down
The Department of Health (DoH) reported Sunday a 13 percent reduction in the number of injuries related to the New Year’ Eve revelry last Saturday, which translated to a still alarming figure of 476 victims of firecracker accidents, stray bullets, and fireworks ingestion in the week leading to 2012.
At least two people were killed in Manila after being hit by stray bullets despite the government going full blast in its campaign against firecrackers, gun-firing, and other reckless merry-making.
De Ocampo said Tablan died while being treated at the Ospital ng Maynila while Angelica was declared dead on arrival at the Gat Andres Bonifacio Hospital in Tondo.
As of press time Sunday afternoon, the MPD was verifying the condition of two more stray bullet victims – a 32-year-old man from Sta. Cruz, Manila and a 16-year-old boy.
The country, which celebrates one of the world’s most raucous and dangerous New Year celebrations, recorded 546 incidents that caused injuries last year.
The lower figure this year showed that 454 were due to fireworks or firecracker accidents; 18 were stray bullet cases; and four were cases of fireworks ingestion, said DoH Secretary Enrique T. Ona.
Still, officials of the DoH expressed dissatisfaction at missing their target this year for a 30-percent decline in their annual Firecracker-Related Incidents report.
“We are quite disappointed because there is not much reduction as far as injuries are concerned. But we are hopeful it could still be better than 13 percent,” Ona said.
The most number of fireworks-related injuries were reported in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila with 298 cases, followed by Region 4-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon or Calabarzon) with 29 cases; and then Region 1 (Ilocos) with 28 cases.
Minor blast, burn and cuts reached 358 while eye burns, lacerations, and abrasions numbered to 69. Amputations also reached 26.
“Make sure children won’t pick up firecrackers scattered in the street until all remnants of the celebration have been cleaned up. Ingestion of firecracker powder could still happen today,” Ona warned.
DoH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said the PNP ise hoping it could still go down up to 30 percent until its last report by Thursday,January 5.
Interestingly, the DoH report showed more injuries from legal fireworks at 228 as compared with the 185 injured from lighting up illegal fireworks.
The top five fireworks that caused injuries were “piccolo” with 150 cases; “kwitis” or skyrockets at 74 cases; fountain fireworks at 31 cases; five star firecrackers,24 cases; and “luces” or sparklers,24 cases.
RA 7183, the act regulating the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices allows the following to be manufactured, sold, and distributed in the country: “Watusi,” “Judas’ belt,” “small triangulo,” “bawang,” “Roman candle,” “fountain,” and “baby rocket,” among others.
“We have to think whether we will still allow the so-called “legal fireworks” to be called “legal” until next year,” said Ona.
In northern Metro Manila, at least two people were allegedly hit by stray bullets, while less than 100 were alleged victims of firecracker explosions.
Superintendent Ferdie del Rosario said the two stray bullet victims were reported in Caloocan and Malabon cities. Both were recuperating at different hospitals as of press time.
At the Mandaluyong City Medical Center, 25 firecracker explosion victims were treated overnight until noon Sunday, while the San Juan City Medical Center treated five injured in the revelry.
Another 12 people were injured in Muntinlupa, according to City Health Officer Edilinda Patac. Two of them were treated for stray bullet wounds.
In Taguig, 12 were taken to the Taguig-Pateros for injuries related to firecracker accidents, the most serious case being a victim whose fingers had to be cut off.
.In Pasig City, the chief of police reported that there were 12 firecracker-related injuries, all of them minor burns and cuts.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said there was a drastic drop in firecracker-related incidents with only 27 people injured overnight.
Supt. Richard Fiesta, chief of QCPD’s District Operations and Plans Division, said this was a big improvement as compared with last year’s 87 injured in the revelry.
However, the QCPD recorded more victims of stray bullets this New Year with four as against three in ushering in 2011 in Quezon City.
In Cavite, there were only 10 firecracker explosion victims reported from New Year’s Eve to 2 p.m. Sunday, most of them in Gen. Trias and one in Cavite City.
A young woman was hit by a stray bullet in Indang town, while two other women were victims of similar incidents in Imus and Tanza.
Senior Superintendent John C. Bulalacao, PPO director, said the figure was a significant drop as compared with recent years’ celebrations even as Region 4-A recorded the second most number of injuries next to NCR.
Region 1, which came in third for the most number of firecracker-related incidents, had 27 people admitted to the Region 1 Medical Center for various injuries.
One of them, identified by police as Ryan Russel Iglesias, of Bungato East, Bayambang, was a victim of a stray bullet.
A pregnant woman was also injured by a stray bullet in Barangay Nalbo, Laoag City, last Saturday night. The victim, Marcelina Ignacio, 31, was hit in the leg.
At least five others were injured in firecracker accidents in Ilocos Sur province, said Police Provincial Office (PPO) Director Noel Amoyen. There were also three victims of stray bullets, Amoyen said. (With reports from Francis T. Wakefield, Carlo Suerte Felipe, Anthony Giron, Freddie C. Velez, Liezle Basa Iñigo, Ed Mahilum, Jonathan M. Hicap, Jeffrey G. Damicog, and Freddie G. Lazaro)
By JENNY F. MANONGDO and LEONARD D. POSTRADO
MB.COM.PH
MB.COM.PH
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