MANILA, Philippines – An additional 98 people were injured due to fireworks across the country, bringing the total number of firework-related injuries to 236 as of Wednesday, January 2, the Department of Health (DOH) announced.
In an updated report, the DOH said cases occurred from Tuesday, January 1 at about 6 am to Wednesday, 5:59 am.
The additional cases were from the National Capital Region, Ilocos region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Bicol region, Mimaropa, Soccsksargen, Cagayan region, Zamboanga, and Davao region.
The number was the highest single-day tally of those wounded, more than the 84 reported to DOH immediately after the New Year's Eve revelry Tuesday, January 1. (READ: 80% drop in firecracker-related injuries vs 5-year average)
Still, the total of 236 cases follows the downward trend of fireworks-related injures as it is 52% or 256 cases lower compared to the same period in 2018. It is also 71% or 578 cases lower than the 5-year average.
The nosedive in cases is notable as it comes even as the DOH added 10 more hospitals to its monitoring this year, for a total of 60 “sentinel sites” for monitoring nationwide.
Health Secretary Franciso Duque III also noted the drop in the number of cases was partly attributed to heavy rain caused by Tropical Depression Usman, which dumped large volumes of rainfall in parts of Luzon and the Visayas in just two days.
“Nature this time took the side of the DOH, which means that it has been raining the past several days unrelentingly and I think this also contributed to a substantive reduction in fireworks-related injuries,” he said in a press briefing Tuesday.
Of the 236 injured, 180 sustained blasts or burns without the need for amputation, while 8 also sustained blasts or burns with the victims undergoing amputation. Another 61 sustained eye injuries.
There were also two cases of persons swallowing fireworks.
Meanwhile, firecrackers that caused the most injuries were kwitis with 55 cases; luces, 20; piccolo, 19; boga, 18; and 5-star, 14.
Surveillance of fireworks-related injuries will end on Saturday, January 5. – Rappler.com
