A boy injured by firecrackers arrives at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. (Photo by AARON FAVILA / AP)
The Department of Health on Wednesday repeated its warning to adults against giving children easy access to firecrackers to welcome the New Year.
“We appeal to parents, mothers especially. Watch closely your children to avoid firecracker-related injuries. Do not allow them to use firecrackers,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a radio interview.
“Their future is at stake,” he said. “There is no cure for a future destroyed by firecrackers.”
“Imagine, these kids will grow up without hands, forearms or legs after losing them to fireworks,” he added. “It will be difficult for them to return to school and their productivity will be affected.”
Duque gave the same warning people men who drink during merrymaking while lighting firecrackers.
“Baka sa kalasingan imbes na paputok, yung sigarilyo o pangsindi ang maihagis at maputukan sila sa kamay,” Duque said. “Mahirap maghanapbuhay pag walang kamay. Aanhin mo ang panandaliang kasiyahan kapalit naman ang kinabukasan mo at ng iyong pamilya?”
But for those who cannot stop the urge to light a firecracker, the DOH advice for them is to seek immediate medical treatment once they are injured to prevent infections that may lead to death.
“No matter how small the injury is, go to the hospital and let the doctors decide on what should be done to your injury to prevent infections,” Duque said.
In case of an injury due to firecrackers, DOH advised that the wounds should be immediately washed with clean running water until all visible dirt and gunpowder residue are removed.
The patient must immediately be taken to the nearest health facility for proper medical attention.
Citing the latest report of the Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction 2017 of the DOH, Duque said the piccolo, a small tubular whistling firecracker already declared illegal, remained the top injury-causing firecracker.
Piccolo is popular among children because it is the most readily available in neighborhood stores and is easy to ignite. The firecracker can be lit by merely scratching the gunpowder-laden stick against the box it comes in.
In many cases, however, the piccolo explodes in the hand before it can be thrown.
The DOH registered a total of 42 fireworks-related injuries from Dec. 21 up to 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 27.
“This is 98 cases, or 70 percent lower than the previous five-year average (2012-2016) and 51 cases (55 percent) lower than the same time period last year,” the DOH said.
According to the DOH, many of the cases were recorded in the National Capital Region. Of the 24 fireworks-related injuries in the NCR, Manila had the most number of cases at 16.
“No deaths (were) reported. There was no reported case of fireworks ingestion and stray bullet injury,” the DOH said.
Most of the injured were men (39 cases) and the victims’ age ranged from 11 months old to 62 years old.
Most of those injured did not need amputation of any limb, four had eye injuries, and three had blast injuries that required amputation.
Earlier, Health Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo said that a 50-percent drop in the number of firecracker-related injuries was expected this holiday season because of the full implementation of the nationwide firecrackers ban. /atm