DOH confirms two more cases of stray bullet injuries

The Department of Health on Thursday confirmed two more cases of stray bullet injuries and 28 new cases of fireworks-related injuries.

According to the department, the two additional cases were a 28-year-old male from the National Capital Region and a 60-year-old male from the Cordillera Administrative Region.

The 28-year-old male from NCR suffered a fracture in his second toe of the left foot due to a stray bullet while the other case suffered a fracture in his left collar bone.

The DOH said it is closely coordinating with the Philippine National Police for all cases of stray bullet injuries.

Meanwhile, it noted that the 28 new cases of fireworks-related injuries range from 6 to 62 years old with nearly nine out of ten cases being males.

Almost all, or 26 of these new cases occurred at home and in the streets while 13 cases were due to legal fireworks.

Nine individuals were hospitalized due to their injuries, it said.

Overall, the department recorded a total of 585 cases of fireworks-related injuries from 22 December 2023 to 4 January 2024, including one case of Watusi ingestion, and three stray bullet injuries.

More than half of cases, or 311 come from NCR followed by Ilocos Region with 58 cases, CALABARZON with 47 cases, and Central Luzon with 42 cases.

The top-ranking identified fireworks that cause the majority, or at least 64 percent of fireworks-related injuries, in descending order, are Kwitis, 5-star, Whistle Bomb, Pla-pla, Boga, Luces, and Fountain.