“Baby lives after train hits his pram - Brisbane Times” plus 4 more

Baby lives after train hits his pram - Brisbane Times
Baby in pram survives hit from Melbourne train - News.com.au
'Too-Fat' Baby Denied Health Care - Click2Houston.com
Employers prepare to deal with employee absences because of swine flu - Southeast Missourian
Essentially Ashland: Drill, baby, drill - Ashland Daily Tidings

Baby lives after train hits his pram - Brisbane Times

Posted: 15 Oct 2009 01:20 PM PDT

A six-month-old baby has narrowly escaped death, when the pram he was strapped into rolled off an Ashburton railway station platform and into the path of an oncoming train.

The pram was hit by the train, and pushed about 30 metres before the frantic driver was able to grind the city-bound service to a halt.

Ambulance Victoria's Jon Wright, an intensive-care paramedic, was one of the first to arrive on the scene yesterday afternoon, where he found the baby being comforted by his mother.

''The baby received a bump to his head and was distressed when we arrived,'' Mr Wright said. ''Luckily he was strapped into his pram at the time, which probably saved his life.''

The baby was taken to Royal Children's Hospital with only minor injuries, believed to include some small lacerations. He was in a stable condition last night. A police spokeswoman said ''a good Samaritan'' had intervened to stop the baby's mother from jumping on to the tracks to try to rescue the baby.

The incident came just one day after operator Connex issued a warning to parents about the dangers of prams rolling under trains or on to tracks. It has closed-circuit TV footage of the incident and will hand it to police if requested. Spokesman John Rees said Connex is investigating. ''It's an absolute miracle this was not a fatality,'' he said. ''It's amazing.''

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Baby in pram survives hit from Melbourne train - News.com.au

Posted: 15 Oct 2009 11:26 AM PDT

A BABY was rushed to hospital after a pram fell onto train tracks this afternoon.

Connex spokesman John Rees said a three-wheeled pram rolled off the platform at Ashburton, Melbourne, into the path of an oncoming train.

Paramedics have taken the child to the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, after it suffered minor injuries.

Mr Rees said Connex would investigate how the incident occurred with the help of CCTV footage.

It comes just a day after Connex and Kidsafe warned parents about the dangers of three-wheeler prams on the train network.

Services on the Alamein line have restarted after being suspended following the incident.

Intensive care paramedic Jon Wright said they arrived to find the six-month-old baby being comforted by his mother.

"It appears that the baby was strapped into his pram which has rolled forward onto the tracks and into the path of an oncoming train," he said.

"Fortunately the train was slowing as it pulled into the station. The pram was pushed along the tracks for about 30 metres.

"The baby received a bump to his head and was distressed when we arrived. Luckily he was strapped into his pram at the time, which probably saved his life,' Mr Wright said.

He was assessed by paramedics and taken to the Royal Children's Hospital in a stable condition.

Connex spokesman Mr Rees also praised the train driver's quick response.

``The train driver would have been extremely shocked by this incident,'' he told ABC Radio.

``He's used his training well and he has applied the brakes as hard as possible.

``Of course the best situation is that it never happens ... so hold onto prams and don't ever let go.''

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'Too-Fat' Baby Denied Health Care - Click2Houston.com

Posted: 12 Oct 2009 04:59 PM PDT

Watch Surveillance Video Of Store Robbery

The following surveillance video was captured at the Snappy Mart Valero, 10214 Garth Road, on Sept. 24, 2009, at 4:20 a.m.

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Employers prepare to deal with employee absences because of swine flu - Southeast Missourian

Posted: 15 Oct 2009 09:03 AM PDT

Thursday, October 15, 2009
By Brian Blackwell ~ Southeast Missourian

Hospitals, schools and other businesses say they're prepared for a virus that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says could infect up to 40 percent of the population.

The region's largest manufacturing employer, Procter & Gamble in Cape Girardeau County, employs more than 1,200 workers. Plant officials said it's taken such precautions against swine flu as placing hand sanitizer in bathrooms throughout the facility.

"We do this from the foundation that our people are our primary concern and we will take whatever steps are necessary to protect their health and the

health of their families," said baby care plant administrator Regina McElmurry. "Currently, all our facilities are running normally and we are confident that the plans we have in place will ensure the continued health and welfare of our employees."

The Centers for Disease Control has advised businesses to develop a plan to cope with above-average absenteeism that could occur with the H1N1 virus the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed has infected 571 people in the state. Spokesman Kit Wagar believes many more cases of the virus have infected Missourians but many health departments and physician offices have stopped testing for the virus. Wagar said many health centers and medical professionals are assuming those infected with type A influenza have H1N1. H1N1 is part of the Type A family of influenza viruses.

Gayla Tripp, infection control coordinator at Saint Francis Medical Center, said that hospital had yet to experience any staffing deficiencies due to

employees with flu-like symptoms. Tripp said the emergency room has seen about a 10 percent increase in the number of patients compared to last year, though most have been discharged and have not needed medical care or antiviral medications.

"In the case of a widespread flu outbreak causing excessive nursing absenteeism, Saint Francis has a plan in place," Tripp said. "Some nurses who are not currently in bedside nursing roles have been evaluated and offered refresher classes to familiarize them with equipment and procedures that may have changed since they were in a direct patient care role. All employees and visitors have been instructed to stay home if they are sick to prevent transmission of illness to co-workers and patients."

While employees are not required to receive seasonal flu vaccines, those who decline the free vaccine are required to meet with their personal physician to discuss the importance of the vaccine and then sign a refusal form. Those who refuse vaccination will not be terminated, spokeswoman Emily Sikes said.

The hospital has a goal of 80 percent of its employees receiving the seasonal vaccine, 5 percent more than in 2008.

Meanwhile, Southeast Missouri Hospital director of human resources Debbie Bowers said its employees are required to receive the seasonal vaccine.

The hospital has also installed special stations throughout the building featuring hand sanitizer, tissues and masks for use by visitors.

"It's an example of our organization's commitment to a healthy lifestyle," Bowers said. "Such seasonal flu immunizations should go a long way in

keeping our employees healthy."

Linda Brown, an advanced practice nurse and director of emergency services at Southeast Missouri Hospital, added that since the hospital started testing for Type A influenza on Oct. 1, 65 people have been diagnosed with the virus. Its emergency room has seen 501 people with flu-like symptoms since Oct. 1, a third of the number of people treated in the emergency room since then.

The hospitals each received 75 doses of swine flu vaccine last week.

Even small businesses have planned how to deal with employee absenteeism because of the flu.

Cora Sample, owner of Pop's Pizza, said closing her restaurant would be a last resort. If most of her six employees were absent because of H1N1, Sample said, family and others familiar with the day-to-day operations of the restaurant would fill in until the current employees recovered.

"If a whole bunch of my employees were out, that could put me in a bind, but I have confidence that we'd have enough people to fill in and help out," Sample said. "When we had a few employees out in the past, that course of action worked."

Cape Girardeau and Jackson school officials reported taking precautions such as cleaning buildings at least three times daily and informing students of the precautions they could take such as coughing into their elbow and washing their hands.

Cape Girardeau School District spokeswoman Deena Ring said officials are monitoring attendance on a daily basis and that canceling classes would be

the final option.

She said if one of its schools is temporarily closed, the district may implement such ideas as parents picking up missed class assignments or students completing assignments online. School officials have also updated the district's list of available substitutes in case teachers unexpectedly miss classes.

"We're taking this very seriously, but at the same time we don't want people to panic," Ring said. "The reality is we deal with the flu each year but H1N1 has caught a lot of attention this year. The district is doing everything it can to prepare for anything that may come up."

Dr. Beth Emmendorfer, associate superintendent of the Jackson School District, said buildings with an above-normal amount of absenteeism are receiving additional cleanings. She added that during the district's Oct. 26 professional development day the custodial staff will participate in additional preventive measure training.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

Pertinent addresses:

614 E. Adams St., Jackson, MO

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO

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Essentially Ashland: Drill, baby, drill - Ashland Daily Tidings

Posted: 15 Oct 2009 12:09 PM PDT

The drill was churning and turning while the sound of a super-hardened bit worried its way through what once were unchartered and durable layers of resistance. I could only admire the skill and experience being focused as the bit ground even further through the layered formation.

Welcome to a visit with my dentist, who admitted to being a perfectionist, in search of the holey grail of dental flawlessness or a courteous smile, whichever first emerged.

One of the precursors to claustrophobia, for me, is to be inclined in a water-boarding position and fear that an errant swallow might ingest a stray tube, utensils, glues, cotton rolls or X-ray strips, ending an otherwise enjoyable experience of being alive. This is no place for a Big Gulp.

Upon being seated I was immediately injected with enough pain killer to euthanize an elephant, though I normally appreciate this chemical shield against pain, which lurks for a way to mumble indecencies to my brain through any and all channels, though always in high definition.

It is hard to describe the joy of having nine hands inside my mouth, which was winched wide with a hydraulic jack and a come-along. Staring wide-eyed through the window I watched finches fleece a bird feeder and prayed that none of my feathered friends would get inside the building, for my mouth looked like the perfect place to build a nest and set up an avian day-care center. I furtively looked about, hoping to find my doppelganger to fill in for my filling. Alas, I was alone in this adventure and to the best of my ability, pretended to play dead, for any attention to the thought of gagging would approximate the condition.

Within an hour I was released and sallied forth into the parking lot, where I meandered about until comprehending that it was time to go home. One side of my face was somewhat swollen and I spoke like frog on a log for some hours. My left lower lip was inflated like the Hindenburg just before its infamous flaming landing at Lakehurst, N.J. in 1937, which reminded me that nitrous oxide is currently verboten. No more flights into fantasy or distraction from never-ending verses of "Drill Ye Terriers Drill."

I was soon home and in my kitchen, where I prepared a sandwich and a cup of hot soup that I keep near simmering for the benefit of its aroma. I tasted the soup and soon discovered that burning my lip is easy to do when it is numb and on vacation. Next was the grilled cheese sandwich, or croc monsieur, which is literally translated from French to mean Mr. Crocodile. I soon found out that biting half-way through my lip was a fait-accompli or, as we commonly say, a "done deal."

After finishing my crocodile-lip lunch I thought to where this all might have led, while reading that Ashland's venture into ambulance service will increase soon by 40 percent to $899.73, an amount well below a simple sum of $900. You know that the finance department is driving the rig when numbers are not rounded off to make it appear that their figures are right on the money. If projections are accurate, why drop a 40 percent bunker buster on the voters all at once? It would appear that the cookie jar needs some monitoring or we will be micro-taxed into a flock of wandering sheepeople, standing in line for soup while attempting to postpone decent medical care as jobs are cut and creditors circle overhead. Now we are being asked to carry $900, preferably in cash, should a real paramedic appear on the scene. Can a number cruncher perform CPR?

Do not bet your life on it.

Lance@journalist.com was last seen wearing a studded lip ring while paging through a dusty copy of Henry Gray's "Anatomy of the Human Body," first published in 1918. Feel free to cut Lance a slice of advice, suture it closed and hit send. Attachments of nitrous oxide will be opened immediately.

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