ILOILO City – Western Visayas ranked fifth with the highest number of fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) in the entire Philippines.
From Dec. 21, 2023 to Jan. 6, 2024, the region logged a total of 294 FWRI cases with one death.
“Western Visayas ranked fifth among the 17 regions with the highest number of firework-related injuries, according to the DOH,” Dr. Fritzi Ann Suzette Jeroso-Dequito, head of the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6, said in a press conference on Monday.
Of the total cases, 37 were reported from sentinel hospitals such as Western Visayas Medical Center, Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital, Iloilo Mission Hospital, and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, the 257 cases were from non-sentinel hospitals, including district hospitals and other tertiary hospitals.
The breakdown of cases:
* Aklan – 33 cases
* Antique – 19 cases
* Capiz – 19 cases with one death
* Guimaras – three cases
* Iloilo province – 97 cases
* Negros Occidental – 103 cases
* Bacolod City – nine cases
* Iloilo City – 11 cases
The 294 cases are 38 percent higher compared to the previous 213 cases.
Out of the total 294 cases reported, blasts or burns are cited as major causes of these injuries, followed by eye injuries.
Most cases involved are males with a median age of 20 years old, and the firecracker with the most cases of involvement is kwitis, followed by boga, triangulo, camara, watusi, and others such as luces, pulbura, and improvised firecrackers.
From the six provinces and two HUCs, out of the 294 cases, 264 were treated and sent home, 13 were admitted, 12 were referred to another hospital, and four cases refused admission. Moreover, 13 have been recorded for amputation.
One Fatality
Jeroso-Dequito said, based on the gathered information, the victim was a 28-year-old male from Dao, Capiz.
On Jan. 1, 2024, the victim collected unexploded fireworks, transferred them to a container and ignited them. Unfortunately, he was hit in the body when it went off.
The victim was taken to Sen. Gerardo Roxas Memorial District Hospital in Dao, but he was advised to be transferred to a tertiary hospital. He died before he was transferred.
“Gintingob ya ang mga omido, daw nag-obra sia sang own ya nga firecrackers nga improvised. So, ginbutang nya sa container, and then paglupok naigu sia, may ara sia samad sa left axillary area. During that time, kaagahon na ini sia gindala sia sa district hospital, and after that, the patient was apprised of a transfer to a tertiary hospital. However, wala na sia na-transfer and eventually, ang iya nga ano was ER death because of the injury secondary sa gin-obra ya improvised firecrackers,” explained Jeroso-Dequito.
Meanwhile, the DOH thanked every Filipino family who continued to support its “Iwas Paputok” campaign, not only during the holidays but year-round.
“Advocates like you are the reason why this campaign has been successful despite the many challenges it faced. Your cooperation and support in disseminating this information have indeed been essential para sa isang safe and healthy na Pilipinas,” read part of the DOH-6 press release signed by regional director Dr. Adriano Suba-an.
Moving forward, the DOH-6 will focus on healthy governance in relation to Iwas Paputok, especially in strengthening policies on the use of firecrackers in respective local government areas.
“Ini (boga) nga common nga gamit naton sa mga lugar have been causing a lot of eye injuries, especially sa mga bata aged one to 10 years old and even up to 20 years. I think balikan naton ina nga policy using boga as their means of paputok sa aton community,” said Jeroso-Dequito.
With this, the DOH-6 is asking for the support of local government units, the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection to lessen FWRI cases in the region in the coming years./PN
