Maputo — Five people were hospitalised on New Year's Eve in Maputo Central Hospital from injuries caused by fireworks.
The worst injuries were suffered by 46 year old Auelio Macucua, when a firework went off in his hands. Doctors had to amputate four of the fingers on his left hand.
The hospital spokesperson, Filipe Coimbra, said that 34 people were admitted to the hospital with injuries caused by traffic accidents, a slight increase on the 31 people admitted on New Years Eve 2016.
The hospital's clinical directors, Farida Ursi, said that the festive season had been relatively quiet compared with previous years. Most of the patients admitted to the hospital in this period were suffering from malaria, diabetes and other diseases, and not from trauma caused by violent incidents.
She said the hospital is prepared to respond to any increased demand for health services in the coming days when the roads become busier, as people who spent the holiday period in Maputo return to their homes elsewhere in the country, or to their jobs in South Africa.
Despite the fireworks injuries, Ursi said that New Year's Eve “was a very calm night. This means that people accepted our recommendations”. The first day of 2018 was also quiet, with no patients entering who had suffered either from physical assault or from traffic accidents.
“We know that many people travelled to Maputo to spend the New Year holiday, and now they want to go home”, she added. “At this time, normally many victims of traffic accidents are admitted to the hospital, and we are ready to respond to their needs”.
