30 firecracker injuries already recorded from Dec. 21 to morning of Dec. 25—DOH

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the authorities’ appeal to the public to use alternative methods of noise-making for the holiday revelries, the Department of Health recorded 30 firecracker-related injuries as of 6 a.m. of Dec. 25.

But the figure was 43 cases or 59 percent less than the one recorded in the same time period in 2013, and 27 cases or 48 percent less than the five-year (2009-2013) average, the “Aksyon Paputok Injury Reduction 2014” report of the DOH National Epidemiology Center said.

Firecrackers. AP FILE PHOTO

The DOH-NEC started recording cases on Dec. 21.

Most cases (11 people or 37 percent) were from the National Capital Region (NCR). The cities of Manila and Pasig had the most number of cases with four each.

One of the victims, a 51-year-old man from Manila, sustained a blast injury requiring amputation of the left index finger after igniting a firecracker called “pla-pla.”

Of the 30 cases reported, 26 were males. There were 10 cases involving children less than 10 years old.

Majority of the cases (26 persons or 87 percent) were “active users,” or the ones responsible for igniting the firecrackers.

Twenty-five sustained blast injuries, while three sustained eye injuries.

The DOH noted that majority of the injuries were caused by piccolo, an illegal firecracker.

To date, there has been no reported case of death, firecracker ingestion or stray-bullet injury, the DOH bulletin said.

From December 21 until January 5, 2015, the DOH central office, regional offices and DOH-retained hospitals and select private health facilities nationwide will be on “Code White Alert,” which puts all personnel of participating hospitals on standby for deployment and augmentation as the need arises.

Since the launch of the anti-firecracker drive, the DOH has been encouraging the public to enjoy the holiday season by using safer alternatives to firecrackers such as torotot (toy horns), car horns, or by playing loud music.