CEBU CITY, Philippines -- Health officials in Central Visayas appealed to the public to Stop using firecrackers and guns in greeting the New Year after close to 30 people were reported injured by firecracker blasts and stray bullets during the Christmas revelry in the region.
The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU)-7 of the Department of Health reported that 26 persons in the whole region were injured by firecracker blasts and two were hit by stray bullets. Some police reports placed the stray bullet injuries to five cases.
DOH 7 regional director Susana Madarieta identified the two stray bullet victims as Mark Anthony Murante, 4, and Elizabeth Fuentes, 21, both from Basak-San Nicolas, Cebu City. Both are now in stable condition at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
Of the firecracker-related injuries, 18 came from Cebu, four from Bohol and four from Negros Oriental, the RESU 7 report said.
RESU 7 said most of the injuries resulted in amputations, lacerations and burns.
The firecracker called whistle bomb was the common cause of injuries.
The two major hospitals in Cebu City -- the CCMC and the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) -- and the Mandaue City District Hospital had the highest number of victims. VSMMC and MCDH had five patients each and CCMC had four.
The left hand of 10-year-old Jovani Opog of Camputhaw, Cebu City, was amputated as it was severely damaged because of the firecracker that exploded in his hand, a VSMMC personnel said.
Dr. Expedito Medalla, coordinator of the DOH 7 Regional Health Emergency Management Service, said the public should stay away from using firecrackers.
Medalla and Madarieta said the number of firecracker blast victims was slightly lower compared to the over 30 cases reported in the 2008 Christmas celebration but it was still one victim too many.
Madarieta said the decreasing trend might be due to the fact that most people did not have money to buy firecrackers and that more people had become aware of the risks of firecrackers due to the DOH information campaign.
