An analysis of the opinions of African immigrants on service delivery by the Department of Home Affairs, South Africa

This paper is an investigation into the views of African immigrants in South Africa on vital services that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) renders to immigrants, such as issuing work permits, study permits, permanent residence permits, marriage certificates, and conferring South African citizenship. The broad research question this paper deals with concerns how the ideology of ‘Makwerekwere’ influences the Department of Home Affairs’ service delivery to African immigrants. The views of 200 randomly sampled African immigrants based in Pretoria were used to analyse the effectiveness of the DHA in performing its duties as a government department. In so doing, the researchers profiled the immigrants and tried to unpack their views about the technical functions and competence of the department. The findings suggest that the service delivery rendered to African foreigners by the DHA is generally poor and discriminatory, as it is largely shaped by the popular ideology of ‘Makwerekwere’ within which African immigrants are imagined and treated as the out-group and excluded from belonging and the formal and informal benefits of  citizenship. While making the point that ‘Makwerekwere” is not an official government policy, the paper recommends that the state has a role to play in not only reorienting its citizens, but also evolving a more inclusive model of belonging for African immigrants in South Africa in order to reduce inter-group anxiety

Rupture of unscarred uterus: a multi-year cross-sectional study from Nigerian Christian Hospital, Nigeria

Background: Rupture of the gravid uterus is a known catastrophic event in obstetrics. Rare in developed countries, it contributes to the high maternal mortality in developing countries like Nigeria. Little is known about the determinants of rupture in unscarred uterus, especially in Nigeria, unlike rupture of scarred uterus. This paper studied the factors associated with rupture of unscarred uterus in Nigerian Christian Hospital.Methods: This was a multi-year, cross-sectional descriptive study of all cases of primary uterine rupture in the hospital between May 2002 and October 2007. Key factors studied include demographics, place of initial presentation in labour, use of uterotonics, duration of labour, maternal and fetal outcome, injury to structures adjacent to the uterus as well as type of surgical intervention.Results: Rupture of unscarred uterus comprised 40% (n=28) of rupture in the study period, with incidence of 8.4 per 1,000 births in the hospital. Most cases aged 25-34 years with parity of 3 or above. A significant proportion of cases were first managed by Traditional Birth Attendants (p=0.01, α=0.05), and there was statistically significant association between prolonged labour and initial presentation to TBAs (χ2 =16.44, P<0.001, α=0.05). Contiguous injuries to the cervix/vagina were most common among the cases. The associated maternal and perinatal mortality rates were 14% and 93% respectively.Conclusion: Primary uterine rupture was found to be associated with high parity and prolonged labour. Initial management by TBAs (with associated prolongation of labour) was strongly correlated to the occurrence of this event. It is recommended that health policy makers emphasize the deployment of competent health workers with obstetrics training in rural areas, to replace the traditional birth attendants

Employee Retention Strategies in the Fast Food Industry

AbstractThe annual employee turnover rate in the fast-food industry is 73%, resulting in significant financial losses to the fast-food industry across the United States. The fast-food managers who lack strategies to improve employee retention; risk reduced organizational performance and effectiveness. Grounded in the eight motivational forces of voluntary employee turnover, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify strategies managers in the fast-food industry used to improve employee retention. The participants were five senior fast-food managers in Baltimore, Maryland, who successfully improved restaurant employee retention. Data were collected through semistructured interviews; and documents (e.g., employee handbook, training manual, and vision and mission statements). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three central themes emerged: communication, organizational support, and training. The recommendation to managers in the fast-food industry is to create a better working environment that encourages effective communication, positive reinforcement, and training. The implications for positive social change include the potential to expand employment opportunities, increase income, and stimulate the economy through increased spending

A cohort study of maternal and fetal outcomes for myomectomy at caesarean section in Aba, South Eastern Nigeria

Background: Fibroids in pregnancy are common in Nigeria but myomectomy during caesarean section is not popular due to concerns for severe hemorrhage. Previous studies did not directly compare outcome for routine Caesarean Section (CS) with Caesarean Myomectomy (CM). This prospective cohort study compares the maternal and fetal outcomes of caesarean myomectomy (exposed arm) with caesarean section (control arm); (n=64; CM=34; CS=30).Methods: Variables include maternal age, durations of surgery and hospitalization, Estimated Blood Loss (EBL), as well as pre and postoperative hematocrit. Fetal weight, number and weight of fibroids were also considered. Data was analyzed with SPSS using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.Results: There was no significant difference in EBL, incidence of postoperative complications, fetal APGAR score at 5 minutes as well as duration of hospitalization between both groups. Number of fibroids (>10) was significantly associated with blood transfusion (X2=11.46, P 10 fibroids. We recommend use of total number of fibroids as an index of surgical risk, instead of dimension of fibroids, as correlates significantly with duration of surgery and estimated blood loss.

Successful myomectomy during pregnancy : A case report

BACKGROUND: The medical literature has reported an increase in myomectomy during caesarean section in the past decade. However, myomectomy performed during pregnancy remains a rarity. The management of uterine fibroids during pregnancy is usually expectant and surgical removal is generally delayed until after delivery. We present a case of a large, symptomatic uterine fibroid diagnosed during pregnancy which was successfully managed by antepartum myomectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30 year old woman presented with a one year history of abdominal swelling, amenorrhea and severe epigastric discomfort of 19 weeks duration. The abdomen was grossly distended and tense. A sonographic diagnosis of ovarian tumor in pregnancy was made. Laparotomy revealed a 32 cm degenerating subserosal uterine fibroid co-existing with an intrauterine pregnancy. Myomectomy was successfully performed. The subsequent antenatal period was uneventful with a spontaneous vaginal delivery of a female baby at 38 weeks. CONCLUSION: This report supports other studies and case series that have demonstrated the safety of myomectomy during pregnancy in selected circumstances

Myomectomy during cesarean delivery

BackgroundThe optimal management of leiomyomas during cesarean delivery is unclear.ObjectivesTo assess the safety of myomectomy performed during cesarean delivery.Search strategyPubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched to identify potentially relevant studies published prior to June 30, 2012.Selection criteriaCase‐control study comparing myomectomy with no myomectomy in patients undergoing cesarean delivery.Data collection and analysisThe quality of the studies was assessed and data were extracted independently by 2 authors.Main resultsNine studies, including 1 082 women with leiomyomas, met the inclusion criteria; 443 (41.0%) women underwent cesarean myomectomy and 639 (59.1%) underwent cesarean delivery alone. The drop in hemoglobin after surgery was 0.30 g/dL greater in the cesarean myomectomy group than in the control group, but the difference was not significant. The operative time was 4.94 minutes longer in the cesarean myomectomy group, but again the difference was not significant. The overall incidence of fever was comparable in the 2 groups. No hysterectomies were performed in any of the included studies.ConclusionsCesarean myomectomy may be a reasonable option for some women with leiomyoma. However, no definite conclusion can be drawn because the data included in the meta‐analysis were of low quality.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135417/1/ijgo208.pd

Globalisation, Economic Reforms and Democracy in Nigeria

This article explores how the forces of globalisation have been undermining democratic struggles in Nigeria, particularly through the economic reforms of the Nigerian state. First, the study involves a theoretical demonstration of these relationships. Second, it notes that the relationships between the forces of globalisation and democracy in Nigeria are largely confrontational. This is the case in so far as preindustrial mercantilism, British colonialism, the current transnational effects of foreign direct investment and the multilateral management of contemporary global order have collectively been undermining the democratic struggles of domestic social forces in Nigeria. The study further establishes that there is largely a supportive and reinforcing relationship between the forces of globalisation and economic reform protocols in Nigeria. It finally suggests that although democratic forces in Nigeria have been inducing economic reforms in the country, reform protocols have been reactionary to the forces of democratisation. An analysis of the various economic reforms in Nigeria as a demonstration of this theoretical framework forms the second broad section of the paper. There is also a categorisation of these reforms into two, namely, those that have inadvertently been pursuing economic nationalism of the Nigeriangoverning elites and those that have directly been structured and oriented towards advancing market liberalisation and state divestiture. Included in the first category are: indigenisation and Nigerianisation; land use; and reforms for poverty alleviation. In the second category are: austerity measures, structural adjustment programme, privatisation and commercialisation which have been embodied in the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) and also in the current practices, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) and trade and financial liberalisations orchestrated in SAP and post-SAP engagements. The study finally notes that the democratisation of economic reforms in the developing countries is central to genuine global governanc

Placenta accreta in Aba, South Eastern Nigeria

No Abstract.Nigerian Journal of Medicine Vol. 16 (3) 2007: pp.219-22

Stochastic dynamic lot-sizing model with shortage and distribution costs: application in a single-item manufacturing company

In this work, a dynamic lot-size model with probabilistic normally distributed demand is presented. The model is an extension of the stochastic version of the Wagner-Whitin dynamic lot-size model. The Wagner-Whitin model provides an algorithm for minimizing the production and inventory cost of an item over N time periods. The cost function of the model presented in this paper comprises of fixed set-up cost, variable production cost, holding cost, shortage cost as well as distribution cost. Production of the item is considered to be instantaneous with fixed set-up cost and per unit production cost in any given period. The model presented was illustrated with data collected from a single-item production company, Boltsman Nig. Ltd. With a normally distributed demand for the item and with set-up, production, holding, shortage and distribution costs, an optimal lot-sizing plan that satisfies the demand over a 12-period time interval at minimum total cost was desired. The EXCEL software was used to analyze the data using the backward dynamic programming algorithm. The optimal production, inventory and distribution plan was obtained which satisfied expected demand while minimizing production, inventory and distribution costs in some periods. Also it minimized shortage cost in periods where the expected demands cannot be met. The optimal minimum cost policy of ₦43,622,570.00 was obtained. Keywords: Dynamic programming, lot sizing, shortage cost, probabilistic demand, inventory cost