By Ma. Teresa Montemayor | Philippine News Agency
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday reported a 10-month-old boy from the National Capital Region as the youngest case related to New Year revelry.
The boy sustained an injury on his right eye caused by the “kwitis” or skyrocket lit by someone else at their home, the DOH said in its latest report.
He is one of the 114 new cases the DOH recorded between 6 a.m. of Jan. 2 to 5:59 a.m. of Jan. 3 who are mostly males.
Fifty nine or 52 percent of these cases were due to legal fireworks. Ten or 9 percent of them were hospitalized due to their injuries.
“Household use of fireworks is a risk not only to yourself but to your family. Our data further strengthens this observation,” the DOH said.
“As FWRI (fireworks-related injuries) surveillance for this holiday season draws to a close, we are still receiving reports, data that the DOH will use to strongly push for measures meant for Christmas 2024 and New Year 2025,” it added.
The overall tally of FWRIs has already reached 557 since the DOH surveillance started on Dec. 21.
More than half of the tally or 306 cases come from Metro Manila followed by Ilocos Region with 55 cases, Central Luzon with 42 cases, CALABARZON with 39 cases.
About 64 percent of the FWRIs were caused by kwitis, 5-star, pla-pla, boga or improvised cannon, whistle bomb, luces or sparklers, and fountain.
Illegal fireworks only caused 39 percent of the FWRIs while the remaining percentage is attributed to legal fireworks.