PRESS RELEASE # 1 | 6 January 2026.
Parents, grandparents, and caregivers are being urged to exercise extreme vigilance during the final weeks of the school holidays.
The advice follows a spike in serious, preventable injuries among children, which include fractures from falls, severe burns, and accidental poisoning.
Rise in emergency admissions for such cases has been directly linked to common holiday scenarios: unsupervised play leading to dangerous climbs, experimentation with homemade items like bamboo guns, access to hot liquids, and accidental ingestion of household chemicals.
Parents and guardians are being reminded that the safety of our children is a community-wide responsibility.
A moment of distraction can lead to a lifetime of regret. We are urging every adult to actively supervise children, secure potential hazards in the home, and be prepared to act in an emergency. Let’s work together to ensure our children return to school healthy and safe.”
Immediate Actions Required for Child Safety:
The MOHMS advises all households to implement these critical safety measures immediately:
- Prevent Road Traffic Injuries: Ensure children use age-appropriate car seats, booster seats, or seat belts on every single trip, no matter how short. Drivers must eliminate distractions and strictly adhere to speed limits, especially in residential areas. Teach children road safety rules and supervise them near driveways and streets.
- Prevent Falls and Fractures: Actively supervise play. Secure bookshelves and televisions to walls, use safety gates on stairs, and keep windows locked. Encourage climbing in safe, designated areas, such as playgrounds, not on furniture or trees.
- Stop Serious Burns and Scalds: Never leave children unattended near kitchens or bathrooms. Turn pot handles inward on the stove, keep hot drinks away from table edges, and test bath water temperature before use. Discuss the extreme dangers of homemade projectile devices.
- Eliminate Poisoning Risks: Store all medicines, cleaning products, perfumes, and chemicals like kerosene in their original containers inside a locked cabinet, out of sight and reach. Never transfer hazardous substances to drink bottles.
Emergency Preparedness is Key:
- For Burns: Cool the affected area under cool running water for 20 minutes. Do not apply ice, butter, or toothpaste.
- For Suspected Poisoning: Call 911. Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Have the product container with you when you call.
- In any life-threatening emergency, call emergency services or proceed to the nearest hospital.
Let’s make the rest of these holidays safe and joyful. Watch, Secure, and Supervise.
ENDS