South Africa News
Free State EMS ready to respond to calls ahead of new year celebrations
The Free State Emergency Medical Services say they are combat-ready to respond to calls this festive season. Apart from the high number of road crashes this time of year, the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections is adding to their workload. Healthcare workers remain at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic.
“At this time of the year. I would not say it’s a challenge per se. Why I’m saying this, most of the patients don’t want to be admitted. Especially during the festive season, they want to be with their families. So, I would say most of the calls that we are receiving would be trauma cases, by trauma cases I mean accidents, stab wounds and the like. Those are the calls that we are getting most of the time,” says Ngxameleni Kalman.
Emergency services personnel have to be psychologically and physically prepared for their arduous shifts. At times they must attend to horrific scenes and deal with emotionally draining situations.
They say the festive season is usually very demanding. Dieketseng Mokhele has been working as a paramedic for 10 years and says their challenges as paramedics have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Most of the time you would find that our people are under the influence of alcohol and we get a lot of accidents, and they fight and it’s our biggest challenge,” says Mokhele.
Meanwhile, Free State Emergency Services says since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, pressure on emergency services has escalated.
Emergency Medical Services manager for Mangaung, Sello Mohlakoane says they had to adapt to new and different ways of doing their work. He says personnel and resources have been put under immense strain during this time.
“I want to stretch a point that covid is not only meant for community or the public out there. It is also meant for our officials. Whom at times you’d find they are also infected and the number of the resources that we have on the road would be reduced. And they are reduced we need to out some effort of people to work overtime to assist our commumities. On top of that the festive season also has added in terms of a higher number of accidents on the road. Remember their weather was bad during this December. It was raining and accidents have escalated very high and we are supposed to stretch all the resources in hospitals in community services and all over,” says Mohlakoane.
Source: News365
In other news – Former Bafana Bafana star player shot in Alex
Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Maimane Alfred Phiri has been shot.
According to the mole, Phiri was shot at 4th avenue in Alex at his pub in his hand and the leg. Learn more
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called for transparency, accountability and the elimination of unnecessary expenditures to cut down on the cost of governance in the country. Akpabio made the call on Monday at a one-day dialogue on the cost of governance in Nigeria organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, in Abuja.
Akpabio, who was represented by Sen. Agom Jarigbe (PDP-Rivers) highlighted the possible factors contributing to the high cost of governance in the country.He said the size of the country’s bureaucracy, the escalating public service wage bills, the overhead costs of appointed public officials, and the salaries and allowances of elected officials are major factors.
According to him, the running of government institutions among other substantial components contributed to weighing down the economy and hindering development efforts. Let us hold ourselves accountable and take responsibility for the betterment of our nation. We have to ensure that our government operates efficiently and effectively, serving the needs of the people and fostering sustainable development,” he said.
The president of the senate emphasized the need to streamline bureaucracy, eliminate unnecessary expenditures, and ensured transparency and accountability at all levels of governance. We must invest in our human capital, empowering our public officials with the necessary skills and knowledge to drive progress.
“And we must foster a culture of innovation and creativity, where new ideas can flourish and transform our nation,” he said.Akpabio urged all Nigerians to remain united, become agents of change and be committed to making sacrifices for the nation. He said that the 10th Assembly was ready to partner with all stakeholders to do everything within its constitutional powers to make Nigeria for all citizens.
Source: pmnewsnigeria
In other news – Bad leaders making the life of Nigerians miserable – Pastor Giwa
The senior pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa, on Sunday, lamented that the economic situation in Nigeria has gone from bad to worse under President Bola Tinubu.
The clergyman noted that bad leaders were intentionally making life miserable for Nigerians. Read more
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Manchester City 0-0 Arsenal. Manchester City and Arsenal handed Liverpool the advantage in the Premier League title race as they played out a bitterly disappointing goalless stalemate at Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool are now top of the table and two points clear of Arsenal after they came from behind to beat Brighton at Anfield, their delight increased by their two closest rivals cancelling each other out.
This was a game that made a nonsense of its billing as a potential classic, as Arsenal’s containing tactics snuffed out City while the Gunners had only limited chances of their own in a desperately poor affair.
Nathan Ake had an early close-range header saved by Arsenal keeper David Raya before going off injured while former City striker Gabriel Jesus posed an occasional threat, just failing to connect with Bukayo Saka’s cross inches from goal after the break.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be happier than City counterpart Pep Guardiola with this outcome – but the real winners were Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.
Guardiola’s side were under greater pressure to win this match but their usual fluent passing game was rarely in evidence, stifled by the visitors’ organisation and infuriated by referee Anthony Taylor’s reluctance to punish the Gunners for a succession of infringements.
It led to a scrappy, disjointed game in which City were never allowed to gather their usual momentum and rhythm, with even the best efforts of master creators Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva unable to carve out meaningful opportunities for Erling Haaland, who was kept on the margins throughout.
The hosts held sway in possession for most of the second half but it was illustrative of the game that Raya barely had an anxious moment, his counterpart Stefan Ortega also idle for long periods.
Indeed, it is the first time City have failed to score at home in the Premier League since October 2021, a run of 47 games.
The reigning champions, as usual, will remain confident of retaining their title but Guardiola will be bitterly disappointed at his side’s failure to trouble Arsenal, with substitute Jack Grealish on the end of some lengthy post-match advice from his manager.
City are back here at Etihad Stadium to face in-form Aston Villa on Wednesday night knowing they cannot afford any more slip-ups in this tight Premier League title pursuit.
Arsenal arrived at Manchester City with a point to make and a chance to show their improvement at a ground where they have had a miserable record in the past.
The Gunners last won here in January 2015, drawing one and losing eight of their subsequent nine visits before this game.
Here, Arteta set his side out to be fiercely drilled and well-organised to frustrate, a strategy seemingly designed to earn the point they secured rather than risk more for victory.
It was a conservative approach but what it did demonstrate was that Arsenal do have more resilience and character than on previous occasions, when they have sometimes capitulated under City’s attacking assault.
Arteta’s side were composed but also willing to throw bodies on the line when danger threatened, not that they were ever in serious peril of conceding – a tribute to their display in itself.
They have kept clean sheets in both games against Manchester City this season, making them only the fourth team to shut out a Guardiola side twice in the same season.
Whether this is one point gained or two lost remains to be seen, but Arteta seemed satisfied enough at the final whistle.
source – BBC