Hospital Will File
Charges For Children
With Fireworks Burns
The Christmas holiday
tradition of fireworks
always comes with a high
price, children with
severe burns. To combat
this national problem,
the Hospital Nacional de
Niños (Children's
Hospital) is taking
action.
The hospital's director,
Dr. Rodolfo Hernández,
said firmly that the
medical centre will file
criminal complaints
against any person
responsible for burns
from fireworks suffered
by any child.
"We will in such cases",
said the doctor.
Hernández and Dr. Carlos
Siri, head of the burns
unit at the hospital,
confirmed that the
number of burns from
fireworks has increased
this year, with 12
children attended to so
far with burns and
severe injuries. In
2007, the hospital
treated only 7 children
with burns from
fireworks.
The doctors are
concerned as the holiday
season fast approaches
so does the tradition of
setting off fireworks
and increases the risk
of burns.
Hernández added that he
hopes more
municipalities ban the
sale of fireworks.
"A quarter of dynamite
can cut off the fingers
of any child and wounded
in their eyes that can
leave blindness, and I
think no parent wants to
see that it happens to
their child," Dr. Siri
told Al Dia.
Dr. Siri added that
burns caused by hot
water has decreased this
year from an average of
two cases a day in 2007
to one a day this year.
The doctor said that
parents can take
precautions to avoid
these types of
accidents, by not
permitting children in
the kitchen while
cooking and not allowing
their children to eat
from their lap for the
risk of spills that can
result in burns. |
