BY NYARIKA DOMANAIS
ILOILO City – Additional fireworks-related injuries were logged in Western Visayas, most of which were caused by boga, or an improvised handheld cannon.
According to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6, 11 more cases were recorded yesterday, Dec. 27, totaling 28 fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) since the health department began monitoring on Dec. 21.
These 11 reported cases were blast or burn injuries with no amputation (five cases) and eye injuries (six cases).
Further, these injuries were caused by boga (nine cases), 5-star (one case), and others (one case).
Dr. Fritzi Ann Suzette Jeroso-Dequito, Medical Officer 3 and head of the Health Promotion Unit of DOH-6, presented in yesterday’s online press conference the breakdown of their recorded data as of Dec. 26.
Reports from sentinel hospitals showed that there was one blast or burn with no amputation and one eye injury recorded in Bacolod City and Anilao, Iloilo.
These cases were in the one- to 10-year-old and 11- to 20-year-old age groups. Both cases were treated and sent home.
Reports from non-sentinel hospitals, on the other hand, showed there are 15 total cases of FWRI. Iloilo Provincial Hospital recorded the most, with three patients brought in, followed by Kabankalan City Hospital in Negros Occidental with two patients.
There were eight blasts or burns with no amputations and seven eye injuries recorded in non-sentinel hospitals. Of these, seven were caused by boga, triangle (one), camara (one), watusi (one), and five others (flying tiger, baby rocket, pulbura, barakbarak, and bomba canon).
Among these cases, there were seven males and one female aged one to 10 years old, and three males and one female aged 11 to 20. One case (female) was also recorded amongst 31 to 40 years old, and one each (both males) from 41 to 50 and 61 to 70 years old.
All 15 patients were treated and sent home.
There were no patients referred to another hospital, admitted, or refused admission recorded in both non-sentinel and sentinel hospitals.
The DOH-6 noted that FWRI cases this year are lower compared to the same period last year.
“All our sentinel and non-sentinel hospitals are ready to provide the necessary treatment and other health services to our community, and they have designated an area specific lang gid sa aton nga FWRI cases,” said Jeroso-Dequito./PN
