Health authorities on Sunday recorded a significant drop in the number of firecracker-related incidents during the 2012 New Year revelry.
But Health Secretary Enrique Ona expressed concern over the smog on New Year’s Day and the number of injuries from stray bullets.
The thick air pollution left by fireworks led to flight cancellations in Manila, including those coming from Boracay, and threaten people with asthma and other respiratory problems.
Conflicting figures
Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona noted there were 476 fireworks-related injuries recorded as of 6 a.m. Sunday – supposedly a 13-percent drop from 546 last year.
This 546 figure is, however, far from the 1,022 total, which the DOH said in a news release on November 24 was the total number of injured in the welcome revelry for Year 2011. The difference between 1,022 and 476 is 546.
“The most number of injuries came from Metro Manila (298 or 66 percent), Region IV-A (29 or 6 percent) and Region I (28 or 6 percent),” National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag said on his Twitter account.
A separate report by radio dzBB’s Cecilia Villarosa said the figures were based on records from Dec. 21 to 31. The monitoring will continue until Jan. 5.
Ona also reported 18 injuries caused by stray bullets, and four more caused by ingestion of fireworks, Tayag said.
Tayag added that 80 percent of those affected were males, while age groups 1-10 (177 cases or 37 percent) and 11-20 (129 cases or 27 percent) were the most affected.
Smog
Ona also voiced worries over the smog that lingered early Sunday morning.
He said this could be a problem for those with asthma or respiratory problems.
He said he even considered going out of Metro Manila because of the smog.
“This is something that should be… part of our consideration in our strategy to go about this not only next year but in the years to come,” he added.
Top 5 injury-causing fireworks
The top 5 injury-causing fireworks were:
– Piccolo (150 or 33 percent)
– Kwitis (74 or 16 percent)
– Fountain (31 or 7 percent)
– Five star (24 or 5 percent)
– Luces (24 or 5 percent).
The police arrested 54 people in possession of illegal fireworks. The imported Piccolo, one of the most popular firecrackers and the leading cause of fireworks injuries, is illegal.
But Ona said he was worried that half of the firecracker-related injuries were due to “legal” fireworks, such as kwitis and fountain.
“Fifty percent of (fireworks-related) injuries were due to so-called legal firecrackers,” he said.
Asked how much the hospitalization costs may be for these injuries, he said “I’m sure this will not be less than P10 million.”
Gun ban?
Ona also said they may hold a summit on whether to impose a gun ban during the holidays.
He said he found “worrisome” the number of injuries from stray bullets.
“We have to rethink how strict will be our rules with regards to the indiscriminate firing of guns,” he said.
He said they have to find ways to make sure gun holders and gun owners will not fire their weapons during this time of year. — LBG/ELR, GMA News
PINOY SNIPER 