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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA and RESEL JOY TIANERO
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Tuesday, December 27, 2016
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ILOILO – As the New Year draws near, provincial government-run hospitals have been put on “code white alert.”
“Code white alert” refers to the readiness of hospital manpower like general and orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, internists, operating room nurses, opthalmologists, and otorhinolaryngologists, to respond to any emergency situation.
During “code white alert”, emergency service, nursing and administrative personnel residing at the hospital dormitory shall be placed on an on-call status for immediate mobilization.
“Kun madamo ang biktima sang palupok, on-call ang mga staff agod magtatap sa mga biktima,” said Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado of the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
She urged Ilonggos to shun firecrackers and instead use alternative noisemakers to welcome the New Year such as the torotot.
Rural health units across the province are also on “code white alert”, said Trabado.
The provincial government runs 12 hospitals. These are the following:
* Aleosan District Hospital (Alimodian)
* Barotac Viejo District Hospital
* Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital (Calinog)
* Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital (Passi City)
* Dr. Ricardo Y. Ladrido Memorial District Hospital (Lambunao)
* Ramon D. Duremdes District Hospital (Dumangas)
* Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital (Janiuay)
* Iloilo Provincial Hospital (Pototan)
* Jesus M. Colmenares Memorial District Hospital (Balasan)
* Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital (Cabatuan)
* Rep. Pedro G. Trono Memorial District Hospital (Guimbal), and
* Sara District Hospital.
The Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 has started monitoring firecracker-related incidents. According to Dr. May Ann Sta. Lucia, DOH regional coordinator for violence and injury prevention program, the monitoring will last until Jan. 5, 2017.
Six firecracker-related injuries were so far recorded since the Dec. 21 start of DOH’s monitoring.
“We hope to have a decrease in cases this year,” said Sta. Lucia.
Three of the six cases were from Negros Occidental. There were one each from the provinces of Capiz and Iloilo, and one in Iloilo City.
“Most of the cases were blast burn and eye injuries caused by firecrackers, illegal boga and Roman candles,” said Sta. Lucia.
All of the victims were males from six to 22 years old. Sta. Lucia said most of them were “active involvement cases” – the victims themselves lit the firecrackers that injured them.
Sta. Lucia also said only one firecracker-related injury transpired on Christmas Eve, three cases happened before Dec. 24 while the other two cases happened on Christmas Day.
In Metro Manila, Health secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said DOH’s goal is to lower the number of firecracker and stray bullet injuries and deaths.
The government spends more than the amount that the firecracker industry earns during the holidays, lamented Ubial.
She said treating such injuries cost the government an estimated P10 million a year and maintaining welfare for those disabled by firecracker-related injuries costs at least P500 million.
Aside from its own campaign against the use of firecrackers this holiday season, Sta. Lucia said the Health department is also banking on the work stoppage order against establishments in the manufacture and sale of pyrotechnics and firecrackers.
In 2015, DOH recorded 932 cases of firecracker-related injuries in the region – eight percent higher than the cases in 2014 but four percent lower than the five-year average.
Historically, 40 percent of the victims of firecrackers are children, said Ubial. Drunk adults, on the other hand, make up 30 percent of all firecracker-related cases.
Ubial said this year’s campaign of “Iwas Paputok, Community Fireworks Display Ang Patok” will hopefully be the last that the DOH will conduct.
Meanwhile, according to Sta. Lucia, DOH Region 6’s sentinel sites remain at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao district here and Corazon Locsin Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City.
DOH is batting for community fireworks displays that are safer compared to individual or residential setting of firecrackers to celebrate the holidays.
Secretary Ubial said President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to sign an executive order next year that would implement the firecracker ban.
Duterte, as mayor of Davao City for at least 20 years, implemented a firecracker ban./PN
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