Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa (center) conducts a visit to some hospitals in Metro Manila to assess its capacity to cater to fireworks-related injuries relative to the celebration of New Year. (Photo Courtesy: MMCHD)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – The Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 443 fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) as of January 2, 2024, with almost 6 out of every 10 cases or 57 percent originating from the National Capital Region (NCR).
The said number is slightly higher than the 307 FWRI that were reported during the 2023 New Year celebration.
“It is the first New Year without any restrictions on movement due to the pandemic. The campaign to prevent avoidable injuries and deaths due to fireworks is a classic example of the need for multisectoral and multi-agency coordination to achieve a public health outcome,” the national health department stressed.
“Success or failure cannot be attributed to DOH alone. It is a shared responsibility between the health sector, local governments, law enforcement, trade and industry, and families themselves,” it added.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, however, recognized the efforts of local government units in promoting the anti-firecracker campaign at a community level towards a safer conduct of the New Year.
In NCR particularly, all 17 LGUs provided for the implementation of ordinances that banned the selling and manufacturing of firecrackers.
Meanwhile, it can be recalled that DOH Secretary Herbosa and Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD) Regional Director Aleli Anne Grace Sudiacal conducted hospital rounds a day before the New Year’s Eve to personally assess the readiness of medical facilities in providing emergency care.
The medical team of the East Avenue Medical Center, one of the hospitals that the Health Secretary visited, showcases their emergency equipment for the treatment of fireworks-related injuries. (Photo Courtesy: MMCHD)
They visited three (3) hospitals in Metro Manila including the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMC), Tondo Medical Center (TMC), and the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC).
The MMCHD was also joined by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., and DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin in inspecting the Ospital ng Tondo as well as the Mandaluyong City Medical Center (MCMC).
On the other hand, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is continuously urging Metro Manila LGUs to establish firework display zones or a dedicated open space for New Year related festivities pursuant to Resolution 22-22, s. 2022.
The highest average number of FWRI cases per day was recorded during the New Year’s Eve of 2011 at 375 and it dropped to 159 daily cases in 2019.
To date, the DOH reported the first confirmed case of a stray bullet injury (SBI) and the first fireworks-related death. (JMP/PIA-NCR)
