The carelessness of parents has been blamed to an increasing number of injuries of children, the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, has said.
At a workshop on prevention of child accidents held recently in HCM City , Phan Thanh Minh, head of the department's Children Protection Office, said the number of children injured at home has increased year-by-year since 2005.
More than 22,400 injuries from accidents occurred in 2005, and the number increased to 26,800 in 2009 and 25,000 in 2010, according to reports from hospitals in the city.
Residents' awareness about accident prevention and the risk of accidents in the home is still low, although the city has implemented many programmes on accidents and injury prevention as well as disseminated information on safety at home, Minh said.
She discovered during field trips that many households in the districts of Binh Chanh, Cu Chi and Hoc Mon had unsafe conditions.
For example, children could reach and play with chemical sprays easily and the electrical system, including circuit breakers or sockets, were not covered.
In addition, ponds and lakes around the home were not protected by barriers, Minh said.
Currently, the city has 33 areas where trains travel without a surrounding fence, causing danger to children.
The department's report showed more than 43,000 injuries caused by accidents among children under 14 years old occurred in 2010, an increase of nearly 2,000 over 2009.
Among them, the number of accidents caused by falls was high, followed by traffic accidents.
Minh said that the city this year would focus on guiding families on ways to increase safety in and around the home.
Families with children under 14 years old should arrange furniture and other items that could cause harm to children out of their reach, she advised.
They also should regularly check the electrical system in their home to ensure safety for children, she added.
Moreover, the department will work with some hospitals in the city to provide knowledge of first aid to teachers when accidents occur in schools.
The department also will submit to the People's Committee a plan on how to improve living environment in the city, especially its areas with rivers and rural areas./.
At a workshop on prevention of child accidents held recently in HCM City , Phan Thanh Minh, head of the department's Children Protection Office, said the number of children injured at home has increased year-by-year since 2005.
More than 22,400 injuries from accidents occurred in 2005, and the number increased to 26,800 in 2009 and 25,000 in 2010, according to reports from hospitals in the city.
Residents' awareness about accident prevention and the risk of accidents in the home is still low, although the city has implemented many programmes on accidents and injury prevention as well as disseminated information on safety at home, Minh said.
She discovered during field trips that many households in the districts of Binh Chanh, Cu Chi and Hoc Mon had unsafe conditions.
For example, children could reach and play with chemical sprays easily and the electrical system, including circuit breakers or sockets, were not covered.
In addition, ponds and lakes around the home were not protected by barriers, Minh said.
Currently, the city has 33 areas where trains travel without a surrounding fence, causing danger to children.
The department's report showed more than 43,000 injuries caused by accidents among children under 14 years old occurred in 2010, an increase of nearly 2,000 over 2009.
Among them, the number of accidents caused by falls was high, followed by traffic accidents.
Minh said that the city this year would focus on guiding families on ways to increase safety in and around the home.
Families with children under 14 years old should arrange furniture and other items that could cause harm to children out of their reach, she advised.
They also should regularly check the electrical system in their home to ensure safety for children, she added.
Moreover, the department will work with some hospitals in the city to provide knowledge of first aid to teachers when accidents occur in schools.
The department also will submit to the People's Committee a plan on how to improve living environment in the city, especially its areas with rivers and rural areas./.
