DOH starts ‘Iwas-Paputok’ campaign
“There are no safe firecrackers,” came the main advisory of the Department of Health (DOH) these holiday season.
Together with the Philippine National Police (PNP), DOH Region-6 lead by Dr. Sofia Fulmones, strongly advised the public to restrain from using firecrackers or fireworks to avoid blast injuries and incidents.
The implementation of Formula Iwas Paputok of the DOH will educate public of the harmful effects of firecrackers and other explosives devices.
Dr. Fulmones told members of the media in a press conference that, Fomula Iwas-Paputok has five components, (1) Public Information, (2) Emergency Room Preparedness and Responses, (3) Nationwide Registry Injuries, (4) Celebrate the Holiday with a Healthy Bang, and (5) Firecrackers ban on all DOH facilities. These five components may help in the preparedness and alertness of all hospitals as well as to remind the public of the proper medical procedures.
In 2008, according to DOH, Western Visayas (region VI) has the 2nd highest number of blast injuries with 86 cases and 2 incidents of stray bullets due to indiscriminate firing.
Most cases were attained by persons ranging from 11 to 20 years old and 13 percent of these cases involved persons who are under influence of liquor. The data was recorded by 2 sentinel hospitals of the DOH, the Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo and Corazon-Locsin Medical Center in Bacolod.
Health authorities said that the top 5 firecrackers that caused the most injuries in 2008 were (1) piccolo, (2) kwitis, (3) 5-star, (4) luces and (5) home-made or altered firecrackers.
Based on R.A. 7183 the sales, manufacture, distributions, and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic must be regulated, but the compliance of this law is not observed in market and commercial stands.
Police Insp. Giovanni Musico of the Regional Operations and Plans Division of Region VI, said that, the implementation of R.A. 7183 lies of the hand of the Local Government Unit and other local authorities. “But on the bottom of these, sa atin pa rin na mga Pilipino nakasasalalay ang pag-iwas sa paputok,” Insp. Musico said.
