- GILBERT BAYORAN
Negros Occidental recorded 63 firecracker-related injuries in different provincial government-managed hospitals, as of Jan. 3.
Of the victims, excluding those in the highly-urbanized Bacolod City, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang reported yesterday that 42.9 percent are aged one to 10 years old.
He added that the victims used common types of firecrackers, such as candle bomb, boga canon, five star, whistle bomb, and triangulo.
Tumimbang also reported that 13 of the victims were under the influence of liquor.
In Bacolod, the City Information Office said that, as per City Health Officer, Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli, four victims of firecracker-related injuries, all of them minors, were treated at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, as of Jan. 1.
On the other hand, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office logged 17 cases of firecracker injuries, and 10 of the victims are minors.
Of the total number of cases this year, 42 were tagged as active, meaning the victims themselves lit the firecrackers, while 21 logged as passive cases.
Both the NOCPPO and the Bacolod City Police Office have not recorded any incident of indiscriminate firing of guns.
Tumimbang also said that no one was treated for bullet injuries in hospitals managed by the provincial government, in line with the New Year celebration.
Records from the Department of Health Western Visayas showed that Negros Occidental topped the number of firecracker-related injuries in Region 6, in the past years.
From Dec. 21, 2021 to January 2 last year, the PHO recorded 31 cases of firecracker-related injuries, compared to 63 this year.
On the increase in the number of firecracker-related injuries, Tumimbang raised possible problems in the implementation of the guidelines in the sale and use of firecrackers, adding that those sold were not regulated.
He stressed the need to look into the regulations in the selling of firecrackers, which should be strictly implemented.
The PHO has been campaigning against the use of firecrackers during the yuletide season celebrations./GB
