'Smooth Sailing' on First School
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UFS’s Star of Starsars Pregnant women Disleksie keer nie dié ‘aspires to inspire’e’ more susceptible matriekpresteerderr to listeriosis PAGE 3 PAGE 2 BLADSY 6 THURSDAY 18 JANUARY 2018 NEWS YOU CAN USE FREE Sannika Futter wishing her daughter, Halley, well on her fi rst day of school at Eunice. ‘Smooth sailing’ on PHOTO: PIERCE VAN HEERDEN fi rst school day JERETHA OOSTHUIZEN matric class of 2018 on the other hand, [email protected] might just be excited because it is their fi nal school year which they can’t wait to The fi rst day was “smooth sailing” complete. for most schools in the Free State For others, however, the day was not as yesterday. This is according to Howard exciting as for most, as they have not yet Ndaba, spokesperson of the Free State been enrolled in a school. The Free State Department of Education. Department of Education revealed earlier “MECs, HODs, mayors and the premier in the week that a total number of 1188 of the province visited schools across learners in the province are still looking the Free State and they were happy to for schools. “We are working with the report that the fi rst day of school was districts to ensure that these learners a resounding success. No incidents have fi nd places in schools nearest to them and been reported,” Ndaba told Bloemfontein we are confi dent that they will indeed be Courant yesterday. able to be placed in schools around the Meanwhile on school grounds across the province,” Ndaba, told Pulane Choane province the new school year for 2018 on Tuesday. started on an exciting note for thousands Several schools in Bloemfontein, of learners when schools reopened Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu also faced a yesterday. serious water crisis after the Mangaung Some learners progressed to a next Municipality allegedly cut their water grade, others started school for the supply. Spokesperson for Free State fi rst time, and for some this is their Premier Ace Magashule, Tiisetso Makhele, fi nal year. Grade 1s across Bloemfontein confi rmed to OFM that the provincial experienced mixed emotions. Most of government is in talks with the Mangaung them were quite excited about school Metro Municipality regarding the matter. and were very eager to get away from Serious dangers could be faced due to their parents, looking forward to making the water crises, including health hazards new friends, while others wouldn’t let go and children being severly affected by the of their parents, resulting in waterworks current heat wave experienced in the everywhere. Free State. Although Grade 1 is the fi rst step of a Despite these challenges, Ndaba said the learner’s school journey, moving onto department is looking forward to the Grade 8 is just as frightening. Some 2018 school year and will assign several learners are entering a high school with of its leaders and managers to different 800 learners while only being used to schools in the province to assess the state 50 learners in the whole school. Some of readiness at these respective schools. have to face a hostel as a ‘new home’. The Read more on page 3 and 7. ¬ Tel: 051 406 3000 Jacques Cloete [email protected] 2 COMMUNITY NEWS • GEMEENSKAPSNUUS www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za • [email protected] • 18 January 2018 Pregnant women more susceptible to listeriosis PULANE CHOANE organ transplants, undernourished people, associated with consumption of Despite the worst case scenarios that [email protected] those suffering from diabetes, HIV/AIDS, contaminated Ready-To-Eat (RTE) foods, can come from being infected with the cancer and other auto-immune diseases. such as deli meats, soft cheese made illness, she maintains that the illness Pregnant women are approximately 20 “Once the organism has left the gut, it with unpasteurized milk, raw sprouts, is normally treatable. “Antibiotics i.e. times more likely than other healthy migrates to the nervous system where prepackaged salads and ice cream (though ampicillin works in most cases,” she adults to get listeriosis. Pregnant women it can cause many symptoms as well as not common). says. However, taking multi-vitamins and typically experience only fever and other infl ammation of the membranes around similar supplements will not work to fl u-like symptoms, such as fatigue and the brain (meningitis). It may also lead to a prevent listeriosis, she adds. “The best muscle aches. However, infections during serious blood infection called septicaemia, ways to prevent infection are to cook pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, both of which can cause signifi cant foods thoroughly (where practical) before premature delivery or life-threatening complications, especially where immune consumption; wash fruit and vegetables infection of the new-born, such as systems are weak. It is vital that medical thoroughly; refrigerate perishable foods meningitis. care is sought as soon as possible when to below 4 degrees Celsius and stick to This is according to Dr Lucia Anelich, who typical listeriosis symptoms appear,” Use By dates; wash hands, kitchen utensils is a technical expert and international Anelich explains. and kitchen work surfaces very well; do consultant on projects for the Food Symptoms of infection for people other not cross-contaminate; eat cooked and and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) than pregnant women can include a refrigerated food quickly (within two of the United Nations and who also headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of days) and reheat before consumption. If a conducts projects for the UN Industrial balance, and convulsions in addition to food cannot be cooked and it falls in the Development Organisation (UNIDO). fever and muscle aches. Anelich says that list of foods that have been implicated in According to Anelich, as at 12 January while it is not yet clear where the outbreak other listeriosis cases, the best is to avoid 2018, there have been 748 reported stems from, it has at least been established eating them altogether if one falls into the cases of listeriosis in the country, with that a major percentage (91%) of clinical more susceptible groups; at least until this 67 of these resulting in deaths. Neonates isolates belonging to the same sequence outbreak is over,” she says in conclusion. remain the most affected by the outbreak, type i.e. ST 6. which she dubs as the “worst documented “This means that these isolates originate Independent researcher and owner of Anelich listeriosis outbreak in global history”. from a single source, most likely a food Consulting, Dr Lucia Anelich. She is also the fi rst Following pregnant women as likely product on the market or a series of and only South African woman the only person candidates for contracting the illness, are food products produced in the same in Africa to been invited to join the prestigious elderly people (over 65 years old) and as manufacturing environment,” she explains International Commission on the Microbiological well as people with weakened immune further. Specifi cations for Foods (ICMSF). PHOTO: systems. These people include those with She adds that Listeriosis is mainly RESEARCHGATE R9 000 ‘is draining blood from a stone’ PULANE CHOANE several other social media users [email protected] have also followed the same stance, saying that they too refuse to Many social media users have donate blood if the SANB sells the questioned the processes and inner blood to hospitals but does not pay workings of the South African donors for the blood. National Blood Service (SANBS) While Bloemfontein Courant after one post on social media was unable to speak to the accusing the entity of selling a pint of spokesperson of the organisation, blood for over R9 000 has gone viral. the organisation has tried to explain The point of contention from social the misunderstanding to users who media users seems to stem from took to the social media platform two main points, the fi rst being that for answers on its Twitter page. as blood donations are governed by In the post, the SANBS said, the Human Tissue Act, the SANBS “Although blood is donated, we should not be making money from have to pay for collection, testing, the donations of donors. storage and delivery, and the The second issue from comments salaries of our hard-working and on the post that went viral is that dedicated teams. Costs are kept donors give the blood in goodwill as low as possible. Our prices are for free, and so why is the SANBS transparent and public.” then not doing the same? The post also provides a link Among comments posted, a where members of the public can screenshot image of a complaint laid see these prices. The SANBS also at consumer watchdog organisation, further explains that it is governed Hello Peter, one consumer by an Act of Parliament, the Human complained that his mother, who Tissue Act. According to this act was sick, was charged over R18 000 and the International Standards for two pints of blood at a hospital of Practice, blood donating must in Durban. be a voluntary, non-remunerated, In the post, the enraged son, who altruistic deed. Hence, the is also a blood donor, explains organisation cannot pay donors for how disappointed he is with the donating. high cost of blood and yet it is a Flow Communications, the company commodity donors give freely. As a that manages SANBS’s public fi nal statement of his anger over the relations, said it would provide a situation, the man vows to never fuller statement on the matter once donate blood again. it has been approved by those in Since the post has gone viral, the SANBS.