New Year Related Injuries

New Year revelry-related injuries reach 346 - DOH
01-01-2009

With the peak of celebrations to bid good-bye to 2008, revelry-
related injuries more than doubled during the New Year's eve and the
early hours of 2009 with reported cases reaching 346 as of Thursday
morning.

In a telephone interview with GMANews.TV, Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, head
of the Department of Health's (DOH) National Center for Disease
Prevention and Control, said out of the 346 recorded cases, 335 were
victims of firecracker- related injuries.

Oliveros added that nine of the casualties were victims of stray
bullets, while two were downed after ingesting dancing firecrackers
more commonly known as watusi.

In a separate interview over radio dzBB, Oliveros said there was no
reported death stemming directly from the holiday revelry.

The official said the eight-year-old boy who died on Tuesday due to
a gunshot wound was excluded from the list after authorities
confirmed that the shot that killed the boy was triggered by a
dispute and not in celebration of the holidays.

"We have not recorded any death directly due to firework-related
injuries...about the news that one died from a stray bullet,
investigation shows that the death appears to be a result of family
feud," Oliveros said.

Oliveros said in the phone interview with GMANews.TV that the 346
cases was collated from data gathered from the department's 50
sentinel sites nationwide, 29 of which are located in Metro Manila.
This number covers the number of New Year-related injuries from
December 21 to 8 a.m. Thursday.

On Wednesday afternoon, the DOH pegged the number of revelry-related
at 165.

Despite reaching 346, the number of reported revelry-related
injuries this year is still lower compared to previous years.

In a press conference at the East Avenue Medical Center, Health
Secretary Francisco Duque III attributed the decline in injuries to
the rains that started Wednesday and extended until early Thursday
morning.

Duque also said the department's "scare tactics campaign" was also a
factor in the decrease in the number of firework related injuries.

Radio dzBB's Mao dela Cruz quoted Duque as saying the Health
department remains on code white alert until January 5 for
additional injuries over the weekend.

The official also urged local government units to clean up debris
left from the New Year revelry to avoid incidences of children
picking up firecrackers on the streets.

Duque was accompanied by Philippine National Police chief Director
General Jesus Verzosa in the press conference.

A GMA Flash Report had earlier said Verzosa, who visited the EAMC
along with Metro Manila police chief Director Leopoldo Bataoil and
PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, was pleased at
the decreased number of revelry-related injuries in 2008.

Apart from the EAMC, the police officials likewise visited the
Philippine Orthopedic Center and the Qurino Medical Center.