Santo Domingo.- There was a total absence of patients with firework related injuries or stray bullets at the country’s main medical facilities this year, and the number of people injured by bullets and stab wounds saw a reduction. There was an increase in injuries as a result of brawling, however.

Hospital directors at the Robert Reid Cabral children’s hospital, the Darío Contreras trauma hospital, and at the Pearl F. Ort burns unit at the Luis Eduardo Aybar hospital, Emilio Mena Castro, Héctor Quezada and Carlos de los Santos, said they had not treated anyone for burns, in contrast with previous years.

The children’s hospital dealt with just two holiday-related injuries, both as a result of road accidents: one child was killed after falling from a moving pick-up truck, and another child is still being treated for his injuries.

“We did not receive any patients who were burned by fireworks, or with alcohol poisoning, or injured by firearms or stab wounds during the celebrations”, said Mena Castro.

The Pearl F. Ort burn unit treated five patients for burns sustained in domestic accidents but no firework related injuries were reported here either.

The director of the Darío Contreras hospital emphasized that 98% of the patients treated in their emergency department during the holidays were under the effect of alcohol.

He stressed that there had been a 52% reduction compared to last year. Stab wounds were down 41% and traffic accidents by 18.68%.

The hospital’s emergency department treated 393 patients over the New Year’s holiday, of whom 97 were admitted.