THE Health department on Monday said over a hundred additional cases of fireworks-related injuries was reported in various parts of the country during the celebration of New Year 2024.
DOH’s latest surveillance report showed that 116 new victims due to fireworks were admitted from 6 a.m. of December 31 to 5:59 a.m. of January 1.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said that this number may still get higher as more reports come in.
“Baka madagdagan pa ho ito sapagkat kung minsan, nade-delay ang pag-report ng ating sentinel sites or hospitals,” he said at a press conference.
A total of 231 fireworks-related injuries have now been reported since the DOH started its monitoring on December 21.
Most of the cases or almost five out of every ten cases came from the National Capital Region at 113.
The new batch of cases included the youngest victim so far—an 11-month old infant from the NCR whose face and right eye were burned by an illegal firecracker called “piccolo,” which was lit by another person on the street.
The DOH also recorded the oldest victim—-a 76-year-old male from the Ilocos Region who sustained injuries on his right eye due to a kwitis that he himself lit at home.
Three new amputation cases were also registered, bringing the total to 11.
There were no additional reports of ingestion so far.
Seven out of 10, or 82 of the new cases, were also male.
Ninety three percent or 107 of these cases also had the accident at home and along the streets, with most of them (60 cases) getting injuries due to legal fireworks.
