DOH to shoulder treatment of firecracker victims

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said it will shoulder the treatment of firecracker victims.

DOH spokesperson and assistant secretary Lyndon Lee Suy said the agency will cover firecracker victims' hospital expenses through the government's medical assistance program.

"Ang sabi, nagpaputok na nga, bakit iko-cover pa ba ng DOH 'yung kanilang mga gastusin? Oo naman po dahil aksidente pa rin ito, kahit sabihin natin naging pasaway kung kaya't nagkaro'n ng sugat. Meron tayong mga medical assistance program na pwedeng gamitin ng Department of Health sa pagtulong sa mga kababayan na naputukan," Lee Suy said in an interview on Unang Balita.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said that even non-members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will also be assisted.

"Para doon naman sa hindi miyembro ng PhilHealth ay sasagutin din ng DOH ang gastusin nila sa pamamaraan ng medical assistance program. So wala po silang dapat alalahanin. Wala dapat silang problema patungkol sa kanilang gastusin. Ang importante po gumaling sila sa lalong madaling panahon," he said in a press briefing at East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City.

As of January 1, a total of 191 firecracker-related injuries and one stray bullet case were recorded by the DOH and Philippine National Police.

This was 68 percent lower compared to the same period in the previous year and also 77 percent lower than the five-year, 2012 to 2016 average.

There were no reported deaths and fireworks ingestion, while seven cases of amputations were recorded.

Lee Suy, meanwhile, said that this year's firecracker-related injuries were "relatively milder" compared to the previous year.

"Relatively, mas mild 'yung mga kaso ngayon although may mga naputulan pa rin po ng mga daliri pero hindi kasing lala ng nakaraang taon na kamay talaga or may nabulag or may, well, namatay pa po nu'ng mga nakaraang taon," he said.

Majority of the cases were hand injuries which were recorded at 115 while most victims were males with 160 cases.

Assistant chief of the PNP Directorate for Operations' public safety division Superintendent Johnny Capalos, meanwhile, said there was only one stray bullet case in Caloocan City.

DOH had attributed the decrease in firecracker-related injuries to the implementation of Executive Order No. 28 which regulates the use of fireworks and pyrotechnic devices. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/KG, GMA News