
Few hours before welcoming the year 2022, the Department of Health (DOH) reported four more people injured due to fireworks.
The new fireworks-related injuries brought the total to 30---which were recorded between Dec. 21 to morning of Dec. 31.
The cumulative total of injuries was "76 percent higher compared to 2020 with 17 cases, but 66 percent lower than the five-year average of 89 cases during the same time period," the DOH noted.
There was no fireworks ingestion, stray bullet injury, or death reported this year, the DOH said.
The fireworks that caused the injuries were boga, five-star, piccolo, and triangle.
"Seven cases had blast/burn injury requiring amputation, 17 cases had blast/burn injury not requiring amputation, and eight cases had an eye injury," the DOH said.
The injuries happened in Western Visayas with nine cases, followed by Ilocos Region with five, National Capital Region with four, Bangsamoro Autonomous in Muslim Mindanao with three, two each from Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon; and one each from Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Davao Region.
“We are preparing not just in welcoming 2022, but also in giving our Kababayan a safe and sans-souci New Year. DOH always hopes that celebrations like this will not create untoward accidents,” said DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III.
“That is why we are relentlessly reminding everyone of safer alternatives to welcoming the New Year through our Iwas Paputok campaign especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, and in ensuring that our hospitals are prepared for fireworks-related injuries,” he added.