Countless people in our hospitals have died of medical negligence. Unfortunately Nigerians are so ‘saintly’ that they prefer to leave everything to God.
People will regale you with sordid tales of what they or their friends/ relations went through in the hands of medical personnel in our hospitals; most of them notable ones. How they managed to survive. Yet, nobody is willing to do the needful. I’m talking about bringing them to book. Speaking to the relevant authorities or at least to people who will ensure that justice is done. Evil thrives in secrecy and until people begin to speak out, a lot more will die. Several others will leave with various kinds of health challenges.
Do you know that in the United States –
• 440,000 patients die every year from preventable medical errors. [Journal of Patient Safety]
• Preventable medical errors cost our country tens of billions of dollars a year. [Institute of Medicine]
• One in three patients who are admitted to the hospital will experience a medical error. [Health Affairs]
• Studies of wrong site, wrong surgery, wrong patient procedures show that “never events” are happening at an alarming rate of up to 40 times per week in U.S. hospitals. [Archives of Surgery]
• In 2014, the total spent defending claims and compensating victims of medical negligence accounted for just 0.2 percent of health care costs.
• Medical negligence cases represent approximately 0.2 percent of the overall civil caseload in state courts. [National Center for State Courts]
• Researchers at Harvard University found that 97 percent of cases were meritorious, concluding, “Portraits of a malpractice system that is stricken with frivolous litigation are overblown.” [New England Journal of Medicine]
Now what happens when preventable medical errors go unreported? How many more deaths and or life damaging errors are you going to keep quiet about? How many preventable medical errors occur in your local hospital not to talk about the major ones though it is not spoken about?
When Sandra David, a 29-year-old staff of the Bank of Agriculture, was in March diagnosed with gall bladder complications requiring surgical correction, she asked for only a few days off work and headed for the Federal Staff Hospital, FSH, Abuja. That was the beginning of a journey…
www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/219289-investigation-nigerian-hospital-medical-negligence-causes-death-women-babies.html
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The Lion and the Jewel
When the stage was set in 1959 for the first performance of that remarkable play The Lion and the Jewel by Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, the actors here were not yet thoughts on their parent’s minds. They were still in the land of the spirits. Unborn.
Gruff, rugged and spiked with an aggressive mien, there is no finesse about him. He is a lion. He goes for the kill. He knows what he wants. She is the jewel on the crown. Graceful. Beautiful. Smart. Feminine but strong.
It’s a rather interesting mix. He is a politician. She is a judge.
Ordinarily, these two groups do not mingle. While politicians would gladly fraternize with judges, judges view them with a lot of suspicion.
Well… You’re not surprised; are you? Everyone knows that at the slightest hint of hobnobbing between a judge and a politician, tongues begin to wag.
But that is where the story of this judge and politician differs. Not only do they meet and hold secret meetings, they live together. To tell the truth, they are married. Indeed, they would log 18 years of marital bliss on the 19th of December 2017.
Young Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and Eberechi Suzzette Obuzor were one of the most popular couples on the campus of Nigerian law school, Lagos where they both trained to be lawyers in 1997.
Not at all given to diplomacy, the story is told of how back at law school, the lion would roar at any suspected male contender that dared inch close to the jewel. They all soon knew better than to as much as steal a glance at her.
The duo were called to the Nigerian Bar on the 25th of February, 1998. Today he is the executive governor of Rivers State while she is a judge of the High Court of Justice, in the state.
Born on the 13th of December 1967 to Reverend and Mrs. Nlemanya Wike of Rumuepirikom community in Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike is an administrator, lawyer, and politician.
After a brief spell in private legal practice and in less than three years after leaving law school, Wike who also holds degrees in Political and Administrative Studies not only became the Executive Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area where he served for two terms (1999 to 2002 and 2004 to 2007) but was elected chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).
Ancient civilization
In the course of human evolution, at a certain point in time, the idea of living in a group with mutual understanding and dependency became a very useful and practical lifestyle. From such small isolated groups, communities were formed. Then came the societies which in due time became a civilization. How the human mentality and psychology led to this huge change is still a popular topic among the historians and anthropologist, and a major discussion for another day. For now, let’s talk about some of the oldest civilizations to have ever existed in the world. We are talking about the civilizations that we know, as fact, existed for real, unlike the ones that are shrouded by myths and beliefs (Atlantis, Lemuria and Rama civilizations to name a few). To correctly map the oldest of the civilizations in a chronological order, it becomes necessary to go the very cradle of civilization. Having said that, here is a list of top 10 oldest civilizations to ever exist in the world, starting with the most recent one first.
The Incas was the largest Empire in South America in the Pre-Columbian era. This civilization flourished in the areas of present day Ecuador, Peru and Chile and had its administrative, military and political center located at Cusco which lies in modern day Peru. The Incas had their societies pretty well established, and the empire was in a rapid bloom since it’s beginning.
Towards Encouraging Indigenous Manufacturing Companies
Our Correspondent reflects on the problems that combined to force some indigenous manufacturers to close shop, and writes that those manufacturing outfits which weathered the storm to remain afloat should be given maximum encouragement to serve the needs of the society.
He heaved a sigh of relief when Kaduna Textile Limited (KTL), the country’s first largest textile manufacturing mill, employed him as an accounts clerk. Haruna Hassan (not his real name), reasoned that he will use his salary to take care of his wife, and six children. But he did not last long on the job when the company established in 1957, became comatose due to several factors, particularly irregular electricity supply and lack of capital to obtain spare parts.
Several textile mills opened in Northern Nigeria after KTL, including Arewa Textiles, United Nigerian Textiles Ltd (UNTL), Nortex among others. They all closed shop due to similar reasons.
Likewise, David Okereke, was jubilant when he established a nails manufacturing company in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia state, in the year 2000. Beyond the joy of becoming an employer of labour, Okereke was enthralled at the prospect of satisfying the needs of his clients spread across several cities in the South-East, South-South, and even beyond.
The enterprise did well in its first five years – satisfying customers’ demands, as well as expanding on annual basis, its profit margin. However, the fortunes of this venture started to decline in its seventh year on account of unfavorable government policies, incessant electricity outage and high cost of sourcing raw materials. Today, the nails manufacturing company is literally gasping for breath, with several hundreds of its workers relieved of their appointments due to low productivity.
Tiger Nut Drink (Kunun Aya)
Tiger Nut Drink (Kunu Aya)
Recipe:
- Coconut
- Dates (dabino)
- Fresh Ginger
- Tiger nuts(aya)
The Process:
- Wash tiger nuts in a bowl to remove stones and other particles.
- Soak overnight if you are using the dry ones.
- Remove seeds from dates.
- Soak the dates for about 5 hours.
- Cut the coconut into small pieces.
- Wash ginger thoroughly with water and cut into little pieces.
- Drain out water used in soaking the tiger nuts.
- Add fresh water to the tiger nuts.
- Add all the ingredients together and grind.
- Sieve the paste with a fine sieve.
- Serve chilled or room temperature.
- Always keep refrigerated.
Motorcycle Mechanic who became Senior Advocate
It is uncommon to hear the story of achievers, successful men and women who rose to the pinnacle of their professions without going through secondary school. Yet there are a number of such inspiring persons. What is most remarkable nonetheless is for one to scale those heights with little or no primary education. Worse still is when you start primary school at an age when some of your age mates are already in first year at the University!
And so it was that at a time when most 17 year olds were either seeking admission into higher institutions of learning or already enjoying campus life, a young man who was not ashamed to share learning space with seven years olds practically ran off from home to school.
Born on the 1st of January 1960, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa was well over 17 years old when he began primary school. The day was 3rd September, 1977 and he started from Primary 2 at Benue State Local School Board (BSLSB), primary School Ogbogbo in Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area, now in Kogi State.
His father never wanted him to go to school. The old man viewed western education with a lot of suspicion and would not hear of his child venturing near a school. But after years of hanging around children doing their homework, having private lessons and secretly learning from them; after all those periods of ‘stealing’ knowledge from borrowed school books of neigbours’ children; having tasted the joy and satisfaction of learning to read, count and add just by eavesdropping on those kids, young Jibrin could not take it any longer. He enrolled himself in a school.
Unfortunately, the hostility at home was more than he could bear. He got the full benefit of his father’s anger for that ‘misbehaviour.’ Consequently, despite successfully passing his final exams and being promoted to Primary three, he sadly dropped out of school. But then, he ran away from home. To Idah he ran. To his elder brother who was a motorcycle mechanic. From being an apprentice motorcycle mechanic, he learnt the trade. Thereafter, he joined another elder brother who was a Soldier at Abakaliki in Present day Eboyi state. He learnt another trade. Upholstery making. It was another hostile environment.
Hate Speech Vs Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the society is dissolved and tyranny is erected on its ruins” Benjamin Franklin.
Tension is rife in the country presently. The pro and anti-government advocates have doused themselves in a war of words that is gradually dovetailing into physical warfare. The government of the day as well as other concerned Nigerians and members of the international community are apprehensive that the signals emanating from the country may be scary and calls for caution on all fronts. Expectedly, the social media and even the traditional media platforms appear to be the rendezvous for the verbal salvos flying in all directions of the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in his first public broadcast to the nation after a 106-day- long medical sojourn to the United Kingdom, took a swipe at the social media in what many political watchers and concerned Nigerians have dubbed declaration of war against the Social Media activists and freedom of speech. The president, short of immediately resurrecting the obnoxious Decree 4, which made him infamous during his first outing as military head of state, fumed that the social media activists were taking their liberty for free speech to an unacceptable extreme crescendo.
The president’s remark in that speech may have given innuendo that his media handlers kept feeding him with large doses of remarks on social media which could have contributed in worsening his health condition and prolonged his stay in the London Hospital. In his words “In the course of my stay in the United Kingdom, I have been kept in daily touch with events at home. Nigerians are robust and lively in discussing their affairs, but I was distressed to notice that some of the comments, especially in the social media have crossed our national red lines by daring to question our collective existence as a nation. This is a step too far.”
That remark drew the ire of a large spectrum of Nigerians, especially the ardent social media community and the army of civil society activists. While it raised a lot of salient questions regarding the temperament of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC government, it revealed the sensitivity of Nigerians about the current governance of the country. They queried when the government drew the so-called “national red lines”; whether it came prior to the 2014 electioneering campaign which saw the APC deploying all manner of derogation and invectives in an attempt to debase the then ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, or the lines suddenly appeared out of the blues after Nigerians started mudslinging the government over its sheer inefficiency and lopsided distribution of the dividends of governance.
Tips on how to get more exercise
An energy boost, a slimmer, toner body, and a better mood are all benefits of exercise. Looking to gear yourself up? Try these tricks.
By Alexandra Kay
Exercise Even If You Can’t Afford the Gym
The gym is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to exercise, says Joan Pagano, owner of Joan Pagano Fitness in New York City and author of Strength Training for Women … You can get in a workout virtually anywhere. Do push-ups and leg lifts at your kitchen counter while waiting for coffee to brew. Get in your cardio with a brisk lunch-hour walk. Do sit-ups during TV commercials. “If you make yourself active during all of your extra minutes, they’ll add up to a stronger, fitter you,” says Pagano.
Compete With a Spouse, Partner, or Friend
“Challenging a partner to a fitness contest can help keep you motivated and focused on your fitness goal,” says Franklin Antonian, creator of the personal fitness site https://www.ibodyfit.com/ author of The Fit Executive ($10, lulu.com). See who can perform the most repetitions of a specific exercise at lunch, on the weekends, or even during commercial breaks. Competing with someone else makes getting in shape more fun, and you’re more likely to stick with exercise if you’re enjoying it.
Set a Specific Goal
Having a goal to work toward—being able to run a half-marathon, for instance—is a great way to keep yourself motivated, says fitness expert Jennifer
Cohen, Weight Watchers spokesperson and author of No Gym Required: Release Your Inner Rockstar ($16, https://www.jennifercohen.com/). “It creates a sense of purpose
because you have the feeling of getting ready for something.” Plan how to achieve your goal, breaking down your strategy into small, specific steps with a set goal date for each. So if you’re training for that half-marathon, you might first aim to run a mile, then work up to two or three, then five, etc.
Bribe Yourself
Build rewards into your routine, so you’ll look forward to exercising, advises registered dietician Bethany Thayer, spokesperson for the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics (eatright.org.). For example, treat yourself to one (that’s one) Hershey’s Kiss for every 30 minutes of exercise, or book a massage for each month in which you successfully complete your fitness goal.
Be Accountable to Your Kids
Tell your children all about your New Year’s resolution, says personal trainer Robert Reames, a spokesperson for Gold’s Gym: “This creates great motivation for parents as we never like to disappoint our kids.” Children are honest and will let you know how well you’re progressing (or not). Bonus: They may also be motivated by your goal-setting and accomplishments.
Source: http://realsimple.com L&S
