[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=”]
[/av_textblock]
[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Health facilities on ‘code white’ status’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
SAN JOSE, Antique – Health facilities in the province are on “code white” alert status in preparation for the New Year’s Eve celebration later.
Information officer Irene Duldoco of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) said all hospital staffs in Antique are ready to respond to any emergency incident that may happen on New Year’s Eve.
The “code white” alert status in the province started as early as Dec. 21. It will end on Jan. 5, Duldoco said.
The PHO is encouraging the public, especially the children, to use alternative noisemakers like torotot (party horns) and other things that can be used to produce celebratory sound.
The PHO once again reminded the public of the dangers that may result from using firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices.
Being blasted by these may result to blindness and loss of fingers or arms, among others, according to the PHO.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed on June 20 Executive Order (EO) 28, which regulates and controls the use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices in the country.
The EO mandates that using legal firecrackers must only be confined to community fireworks display in a designated area called a “firecracker zone,” which must be identified by the local government unit.
Duldoco, citing PHO records, said about 16 cases of firecracker-related incidents were recorded in 2016, which is 50 percent higher than in 2015 with eight.
Last year, four victims suffered from eye injury while the other twelve had burns.
Most of the victims were aged 6 to 10 years old (8 incidents), followed by those aged 11 to 15 years old (3 incidents) and 20 years old and older (3 incidents), the PHO records showed.
There was one firecracker-related incident each in age brackets 1 to 5 years old and 16 to 20 years old, it added.
The firecrackers used in these incidents were camara, kwitis/skyrocket, trianggulo, fountain/roman candle, watusi/piccolo, boga, and improvised firecrackers, among others. (With report from Vicente Villavert/PIA/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
