ILOILO – In only a day, or from Dec. 25 to 26, eight new cases of fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) were recorded in Western Visayas.
Data released by the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 on Tuesday morning showed that the eight new cases were caused by boga, 5-star (one case), watusi (one case), and other firecrackers (three cases).
Most were blast or burn injuries, and zero were amputated or had eye injuries.
Similarly, there were no reported cases of fireworks ingestion or stray bullet injuries.
In total, the region has had 17 FWRI cases so far since the start of DOH monitoring on Dec. 21. Two cases were reported from the sentinel hospitals and 15 cases were reported from the non-sentinel hospitals.
The four sentinel hospitals are the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao district, the Iloilo Mission Hospital and the West Visayas State University-Medical Center in Jaro district, all in Iloilo City, and the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.
Meanwhile, non-sentinel hospitals are other healthcare facilities like district hospitals.
Nurse Rodnie I. Gonzales, Health Education Promotion Officer (HEPO) II, and head of the Communications Management Unit of DOH-6, said most of the injured persons from boga were passive or were not directly using it.
“Kalabanan sang aton injuries are, of course, from boga. Some of those are passive victims; indi directly nga sila ang nagapalupok, but nagalabay lang sila or bystanders lang sila, amo na ang trend sang aton victims,” Gonzales said in an interview with Radyo Pilipinas Iloilo.
In line with this, all hospital facilities in the region have been placed under “code white” alert status from Dec. 20 until Jan. 4.
This means that all personnel and facilities are prepared to cater to a possible surge of patients.
“Alert na kita kag ready; enough ang manpower,” Gonzales assured.
The Regional Health Emergency Operation Center of the DOH-6 is also open to augment the needs of health facilities.
The hotline number, 0939-988-1818, of the Health Emergency Management Staff of DOH-6 is open as well./PN
