Growing number of ’cracker injuries alarms DOH

AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Health officials believe more people will be injured by firecrackers this year than in previous years as the number of fireworks-related injuries continued to rise a few days before the normally raucous celebration of the New Year in the Philippines.

Assistant Health Secretary Enrique Tayag, head of the National Epidemiology Center, reported in his Twitter account that the  number of revelry-related injuries had shot up to 244 as of 6 a.m. Monday.

On just one day, 46 cases were added to the increasing list of injuries tallied by Department of Health.

Of the injuries, one was caused by firecracker ingestion while five were due to stray bullets.

The “piccolo” type of firecracker which the government has banned remained the major cause of injuries, with 153 cases or 64 percent of the total.

Tayag noted in radio interviews that 2013 could be “worse” than previous years since the number of cases as of Monday was higher by 21 percent than the average from 2008 to 2012.

“We are preparing for the worst but we are hopeful that the number of injuries this year will not surpass last year’s levels,” Tayag said.

The number of people using firecrackers continues to increase despite the appeal of the government to welcome the New Year through alternative noise-making methods.

The DOH noted that most of those injured (87 percent) were males while 30 percent of the total number of injured were children below 10 years of age.

Almost half of the injuries  (49 percent) were recorded in the National Capital Region.

“We are afraid the figures this year will surpass previous records so we are doing last-minute campaign. We are appealing to the public to please not to light firecrackers this New Year’s Eve,” Tayag said.

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