Mindanaotoday.com | NorMin hospitals under white alert
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – State-owned hospitals in Northern Mindanao have been placed under Code White Alert status to respond on emergencies anytime since Wednesday, Dec. 21, amid the Christmas and New Year revelries, a health agency official said.
Physician Stephanie Zamora, Department of Health-10’s cluster head of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (RESDRU), announced the raising of alert status in a forum on Thursday, Dec. 22, at an uptown mall in Cagayan de Oro.
The Code White Alert directive was issued by DOH-10 Regional Director Jose Llacuna Jr. on Dec. 21 this year and will last until Jan. 6 next year.
It refers to the readiness of hospital manpower to include, among others, general and orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, internists, operating room nurses, ophthalmology (eye) experts, and even otorhinolaryngologist (throat) specialists, should emergency situations occur.
Emergency service, nursing and administrative personnel residing at hospital dormitories shall be placed on an on-call status for immediate mobilization.
These, even as the health agency’s annual information campaign, dubbed “Iwas Paputok,” to avoid the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices and monitoring of patients brought to hospitals due blast-related burns, injuries, and surgeries, took off.
Zamora said Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) in Cagayan de Oro is the region’s main sentinel site mandated to submit daily reports on fireworks-related injuries – including those caused by stray bullets – to the DOH Epidemiology Bureau.
Aside from the NMMC, three other medical facilities are on CWA status are the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City, Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Medical Center in Ozamiz City, and Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center in Malaybalay City.
Zero fireworks-related injuries
In the previous 17-day “Iwas Paputok” surveillance period, Dec. 21, 2021 to Jan. 6, 2022, Northern Mindanao recorded four fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) and one sustained a bullet wound from a stray bullet.
Those who had FWRIs were from Bukidnon – also the stray bullet incident — and Lanao del Norte and these caused by “Triangle” firecracker and “Lantaka” – a bamboo cannon.
Zamora said their goal has always been zero FWRI and many local governments succeeded last year, including Cagayan de Oro which is the region’s most populous city.
She said the reduction of FWRIs can be attributed to several factors, among which was the “scare campaign” of the DOH for several years before the coronavirus pandemic where photos of those who have lost eyesight, fingers and had burns were in posters and shown in infomercials on TV and newspapers.
She was with the observation that the cost of fireworks, the campaign for community fireworks display, and the relentless inter-agency campaign against illegal firecrackers, including confiscation and destruction of those seized had a compounding effect.
These, notwithstanding the issuance of Executive Order No. 28 in 2017, which further strengthened Republic Act No. 7183 of 1992, both seek to regulate the sale, manufacture, distribution and sale of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.
Inter-agency campaign
In the “Iwas Paputok” forum, Engr. Emmanuel Plaza, Department of Trade and Industry-10 regional standards officer, said all firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices must bear Philippine Standard (PS) license mark in print.
These, he said, must have instructions for users and warning on the risks.
“No firecracker and pyrotechnic are totally safe,” Plaza emphasized, much more if these do not have PS mark since these are all locally-manufactured, and that “imported” pyrotechnic devices are under the lookout of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
He said they will be coordinating with the police and local governments, particularly on the list of licensed distributors and retailers of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices. Business permits are issued by local governments.
Section 7 of E.O. 28 calls for an inter-agency information campaign and those directed to do such include the DOH, DTI, PNP, Department of Education,
Last year, the PNP released the names and brands of allowed and prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnics, and these include the following: Baby Rocket, Bawang, El Diablo, Judas’ Belt, Paper Caps, Pulling of Strings, Sky Rocket (Kwitis), and Small Triangulo.
The following is the list of pyrotechnic devices allowed to be sold and used: Butterfly, Fountain, Jumbo, Luces, Mabuhay, Roman Candle, Sparklers, Trompillo, and Whistle Device.
Meanwhile, the prohibited firecrackers are Watusi, Piccolo, Poppop, Five Star, Pla-pla, Lolo Thunder, Giant Bawang, Giant Whistle Bomb, Atomic Bomb, Super Lolo, Atomic Triangle, Goodbye Bading, Large-size Judas Belt, Goodbye Philippines, Goodbye Delima, Bin Laden, Hello Columbia, Mother Rockets, Goodbye Napoles, Coke-in-Can, Super Yolanda, Pillbox, Mother Rockets, Boga, Kwiton, and Kabasi.
Police has reminded local governments that the sale of allowed firecrackers outside designated firecracker zones is strictly prohibited and punishable under the law. Violators will face appropriate penalties while these items will be seized.
Community firework displays, as stipulated under Section 1 of E.O. 28, are encouraged as long as these are compliant with health protocols and in designated areas for safety purposes. (MT)
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