₦airaland Forum

In the training days, 2006.
Mr Fine boy.
Mr Mannikins.
Mrs Mannikins.

I know many will want to point out that the Ambulances belong to Lagos state government based on the design, I will get to that later. These pictures were taken between 2006 and 2009.

Second-generation Alpha 3

First-generation Alpha 3 Ambulance

After the Census, We started training on emergency response, the modules were like Trauma life Support but it was labeled Basic life Support. The participants include Nurses, Doctors, and Lab scientists. We were trained for three weeks after which we did a test and the Simulations or simply ‘Sims’.
We were then posted to our different teams, In the operations department, there were Team A, Team B, and Team C. All reporting to the Operations Officer and the Operations Manager. There were Ambulance points in St’ Nicholas on Campbell street. VGC Clinic, Mediclinics in Isaac John Street in Ikeja, Adeniran Ogunsaya street in Surulere, another one was at AP Muller terminal in Apapa. There was one ambulance attached to Abuja and Port-Harcourt Clinic respectively. At some point, the Ambulance at St’ Nicholas was moved to Freeman's house in Idumota owned by one Multinational oil company, there was another Ambulance moved to Caverton Helicopters on Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Later on, another ambulance at Old Maritime House on Apapa-Oshodi expressway. The shift was 12hours long either day or night, Each person working on the Ambulance, whether you are a Doctor, Nurse or First-aider was expected to do a 4 day-time shift, then 4-night shifts followed by 4 days off irrespective of your locations.
Apart from the primary Ambulance locations, we have contracted Ambulance locations like the West African Gas Pipeline Project, the TTC in Ogere. Seasonal Ambulance contract like Guilder ultimate search, the BBN, Star trek, Lagos City marathon. Econet sponsored Basketball Championship.
I worked in almost all the ambulance points within and outside the company, In April 2006, I had my first taste of outside deployment, I was deployed to a Technical training center in Ogere. The facility was being used by one oil major for the training and deployment of its new staff. This was a very boring place when compared to other deployments. In June I was deployed to West African Gas Pipeline Project (WAGP), this was an action-packed experience. Flying the ambulance from Ikeja through the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway to Sango then through Agbara to Badagry. There was a Gas plant Interchange at Ajido called Ajido Station and another one at Agbado Station. The main work-yard was at Oko-afor. The Project was for laying Gas pipelines from Escarvos to Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The pipeline passed through Rivers, Lagoon, Swamps, Forest, and deep Jungles. I cannot remember the number of times that the Kia made ambulances got stuck in the mud and swamps and had to be pulled out by excavators.

I woke up this morning with a craving to write rather than watch Netflix. So I picked up my kalamu and tablet to do justice to what my heart wants.
I have written about my early days as a nurse in Lagos, but I never actually answered the question. WHY Lagos. The answer is I always want more from life because I believe life has more to offer than the present moment. I abhorred working with Government establishment and institutions. So after finishing school I looked beyond Lautech teaching hospitals, OAUTHC, and UCH.

At some point in 2005, after finishing from Aro, Abeokuta. I was in a dilemma, should I apply to Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and join the band-wagon or should look elsewhere. Anyway, I dropped my application letter in the hospital. Professor Adamson was the Provost then.
I moved to Lagos then my Mom called me to come home, I went to see her and she reiterated the need to have secure employment. I promised her that I will work on it. I left for Osogbo and checked with some colleagues, I was informed that Lautech is recruiting but there was no advert. That I can apply if I knew any politician. I stayed with a friend overnight.

In the morning I told my friend that I will be going to the house of Assembly, he asked why and I told him that I need to get a politician to give me a letter of introduction to the CMD. He thought I was Crazy but leaving in Lagos can make you to be so bold to approach anyone. I went to the house of assembly but alas, the house was on recess but I was able to see the clerk. I narrated my debacle, which he understood. He gave me his complimentary card and signed at the back. I thanked him profusely and departed for Lautech teaching hospital. I went to the office of the CMD, I told the Secretary that I have a note from the Office of the Speaker of the house to be delivered to the CMD. She asked me to sit and wait.
I sat down for about two hours before I saw the CMD, coming out of his office. I dashed to the hallway to meet him, I greeted him before saying that I have a note for him. He read the Complementary card and the note at the back. He said, young man tell the Clerk that I said; there is no recruitment going on.

I was downcast, I went back to a couple of friends to raise transport fare to Ibadan. I spent one night in Ibadan and then left for Lagos to continue the hustle.

On a particular day in January, I visited a friend in VGC, he worked with Critical Rescue International. The CRI Mediclinic was housed in the VGC Malls, the first building to your right as you approach the estate. I was amazed at the neatness of the Clinic, the serenity of the environment. The courtesy approach of the Staff, the number of equipments and Ambulances. So I told my friend, I need to work with this Company. I met with his boss, then Operations Officer. A very lovely lady, she asked me to work on my C.V and then submit it.

I packaged my C.V, though very scanty, what I lacked in experience I made up for it with attributes and skills, it was a ‘killer’ C.V of sort. I was called for an interview in February, I was interviewed by the HR and the Operations Officer. I performed well in the interview and was offered a position as an Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP) primarily working on the ambulance. I passed the Medicals so I started work in the first week of March 2006. It was a dream comes true.

CRI was the premier medical emergency and consummate ambulant care services in the country, the company was a trailblazer in many things. I believe, people would remember the Econet crisis center in the early days of mobile telecommunication services in Nigeria. The company was fashioned after Netcare 911 in South-Africa.

We had three distinct departments, The Mediclinic, there were many Mediclinics all over Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt. Operations, and the Emergency call center that housed the Control desks. The call center was known as the Econet Crisis center in the early days because it was the sole sponsor but later on, MTN joined as co-sponsor.

The set up of the company, the management, the staff, the clientele were elitist. The clientele was like never seen before in the annals of medical oriented company. From Construction, Telecommunication, Mining, Aviation and Hospitality, Oil and Gas, Banking, Food and Brewery, Embassies, Sport and even the Government.

I started work in the first week of March 2006. I started work on the same day with my ‘twin brother’ and two other lovely ladies, Four Nurses. The ladies were to be in the Call center while the duo of us were to be in the Operations, ‘The action department’. We were taken around the sprawling premises on 114, Oba Akran Avenue. In the massive premises there were about four companies, three very large warehouses, two staff cafeteria, a filling station. A Mediclinic, A Training center, and the headquarters building. We filled additional forms with the HR, then we were taken to the Call center. The call center itself was the very heart of the Company always buzzing with activities like a beehive. It was a large hall with about 40 desks/staff in 4 rows. There was the 112 sections and then the Medihelp section.

The 112 section consisted of 112/119 officers. You are on to 112, xyx speaking, how may I help you. Or you are on to 119, xyx speaking how may I assist you? That is easy right, Not so easy I will say because the lines were on the same phone. Each emergency line had its button on the phone and each had its response pathways to answer.

The calls were diverse and numerous, calls like; I lost my phone, I want to retrieve my number, can you trace my number, my phone was snatched, we need an ambulance xyz street, we need police on abc street, we need fire service on doremi avenue, dead body on 10th mainland bridge, unusual traffic on momo road, we need more Lastma officials, someone jumped into the river on soso river, Mr x has not been seen by neighbors in many days, trust me I have heard all sort and responded to all sort of concerns. Many genuine concerns while some were just hoax calls. It was nouveau, exciting, and stressful.

The set up of the call center was that there was an access-controlled door that led to an anteroom, the office of the Call center manager, then the call center itself. The Call center manager has a bird view of the call center through the transparent glass divider. There was a rotating CCTV that monitored activities within the center and gave live-feed to the owner of the company.

I was drafted to work in the call-center in the first few weeks so that I can have a feel of the activities. I remembered having to work 72 hours with few breaks in between during the 2006 Census. All the Ladies and the vulnerable groups were informed to stay at home. Was I counted during the Census? No. I have never being on a Census paper.

After the Census, We started training on emergency response, the modules were like Trauma life Support but it was labeled Basic life Support.

TheLasyBuddha:
Do you really need IELTS? What about the NARIC pathway?

Please, what is the NARIC pathway?

Emperornice:
@op please I would like to have a private chat with you.can I have your contact as I don't have access to my nairaland mail anymore. thanks

Hello, can you drop your mail address, I will contact you.

noeloge82:
No biological control u keep setting traps, wire traps around hoping that one day it will be trapped

I hope that in the nearest future, there will be plants that can deter rodents and other pests from farms. Recently I was reading about the hassles that Rice farmers go through with bird invasion.

noeloge82:
So today 16 Jan 2021 , some of my farm assistants helping me to wet a 4 hectare maize farm came across a hole immediately water entered the hole they saw a mother land squirrel run out of the hole and soon this 3 younger ones followed but were unfortunate as they were killed by the workers .
Although am not interested in the kill but am happy they killed cos this land squirrel are very destructive they have already removed 1/2 plot of the farm .
The uproot and eat the germinating maize and if u poison maize and pour on the floor they will not eat but once they see a germinating one they will uproot and eat the maize seed and once this happens that particular maize will not grow again.

4 hectares is a large expanse of land, you will need to do more to control pests like these. Is there any biological control that can take care of rodents?

Deffjam:
.

Deffjam, your DOT is ripe, please come for the harvest . Trust you are alright?

TheLasyBuddha:
Can we have a glimpse of what the Supporting Information section looks like, sir?

I believe the supporting information is for you to sell yourself, the opportunity to display what you are, what you have, and what you can be if you are given the employment.

oyetunjibaba:
The postgraduate diploma at Lasu and cleno ultrasound is about how year(s)?

Thank so much sir.

I am waiting for this information from my source.

EbonyCy:
If I were to be you I won't bother about bsc,even the 1yr6mths RM I won't do it rather I source for a job with my RN save money,do businesses save more money... Cos that money I will use and pay for RM go reach to write IELTS first...
My opinion ooo...
NGO's should be your main target they pay their nurses well than some private hospitals

Thanks EbonyCy.
BlackNostra, this is one good piece of advice.
You can have your B.sc with peace of mind, once you have relocated.

Access03:
In truth, Akande was parsimonious in his management of Osun State resources.
Happy birthday once again, Baba AbdulKareem Adebisi Akande❤

He was quoted to have said something on radio when he was the Governor. People complained of potholes on Ikirun road or was it Station road, I can't remember. He replied them, Was it the government that dug the potholes?. It was a reckless and controversial statement for a Governor but it was the truth. People will burn tyres on new roads and still complain that the road got bad.
Secondly he scrapped the teaching of unnecessary subjects like Yoruba, Islamic religion studies (IRS) and Christian religion studies( CRS) from the Secondary School Curriculum in Osun. Famous for telling IRS teachers to go the Mosques to teach and CRS teachers to teach in Churches.
He was a pragmatic Governor but very reckless in his speech, with his "Show me your 32" broad smiles.
Happy Birthday to Baba Omo kekeke.

TheRareGem1:
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT


PETROLEUM INDUSTRY BILL (PIB):

WE NEED TO PRODUCE LARGEST OIL VOLUMES POSSIBLE AT CHEAPER COSTS, OSINBAJO TELLS OIL & GAS STAKEHOLDERS

*VP adds: “Gas should be an enabler for quick development”

Stakeholders in the oil industry need to find and agree on cheaper means of producing oil while also ensuring a more competitive environment that meets the needs and purposes of the Nigerian nation including the largest production volumes possible.
13th January 2021

Years ago, Some IOC were producing at $18-$20 per barrel to the detriment of their Staff well being. Now that the VP is talking about lowering the cost of production further, without any mention of the workforce that will deliver on this new drive. Pure evil.

Continuation

Now, I can post.

Emperornice:
Good evening at @op,a happy new year to you and your family
please do you know of any Nigeria who has migrated to the UK as a community nurse?

Thank you, wish you same. No, I don't know any nurse with such.

L

Nairaland bot is playing up. I could not upload the rest of the screenshots.
I will try again later.

L

Let's get down to business.
I am too tired to type or construct good sentences.
So I will pass the information with screen shots, the information is anonymised.
I believe this information will benefit, physiologist and anatomy practitioners.

dogmart:
Let's hope and pray it doesn't get to this in Nigeria.

It's a patriotic prayer.

Covid: New lockdown for England amid 'hardest weeks'


Coronavirus pandemic

Boris Johnson says the spread of the new variant is "both frustrating and alarming"
Everyone in England must stay at home except for permitted reasons during a new coronavirus lockdown expected to last until mid-February, the PM says.

All schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning from Tuesday.

Boris Johnson warned the coming weeks would be the "hardest yet" amid surging cases and patient numbers.

He said those in the top four priority groups would receive a first vaccine dose by the middle of next month.

All care home residents and their carers, everyone aged 70 and over, all frontline health and social care workers, and the clinically extremely vulnerable will be offered one dose of a vaccine by mid-February.

Scotland earlier issued a stay-at-home order and joined Wales in closing classrooms for most pupils.

Schools in Northern Ireland will have an "extended period of remote learning", the Stormont Executive said.

Speaking from Downing Street, Mr Johnson said all the new measures in England would last until at least the middle of February as a new more infectious variant of the virus spreads across the UK.

The PM added that he believed the country was entering "the last phase of the struggle".

Hospitals were under "more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic", he said.

And he reiterated the slogan used earlier in the pandemic, urging people to immediately "stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives".

Presentational grey line
At-a-glance: New rules in England
People cannot leave their homes except for certain reasons, like the first lockdown last March
These include essential medical needs, food shopping, exercise and work for those who cannot do so from home
All schools and colleges will close to most pupils from Tuesday with remote learning until February half term
Early years settings such as nurseries will stay open
End-of-year exams will not take place this summer as normal
Elsewhere, university students should not return to campuses and will be taught online
Restaurants can continue to offer delivery for food, but takeaway alcohol will be banned
Outdoor sports venues - such as golf courses, tennis courts and outside gyms - must close
But outdoor playgrounds will remain open
Amateur team sports are not allowed, but elite sport such as Premier League football can continue
Presentational grey line
On Monday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the seventh day in a row.

A further 58,784 cases and an additional 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result were reported, though deaths in Scotland were not recorded.

Chart shows daily cases continue to rise. Updated 4 Jan.
Presentational white space
As of 08:00 GMT, there were 26,626 Covid-19 patients in hospital in England, according to the latest figures.

This is a week-on-week increase of 30%, and a new record high.

Hospitalisations in the UK as of 4 January (latest data)
Presentational white space
Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be contacted by letter and should now shield once more, Mr Johnson said.

Support and childcare bubbles will continue under the new measures - and people can meet one person from another household for outdoor exercise.

Communal worship and life events like funerals and weddings can continue, subject to limits on attendance.

While Mr Johnson said end-of-year exams would not take place as normal in the summer, he said alternative arrangements would be announced separately.

The government has published a 22-page document outlining the new rules in detail.

The House of Commons has been recalled to allow MPs to vote on the new restrictions on Wednesday.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his MPs would "support the package of measures", saying "we've all got to pull together now to make this work".

Presentational grey line
Hospital pressure forces PM's hand
Analysis box by Nick Triggle, health correspondent
Once again it is the threat to the NHS that has forced the hand of ministers.

In England there has been a 50% rise in the number of patients in hospital with Covid since Christmas day.

To put that into context, it equates to 18 hospitals being filled.

Currently around three out of 10 beds are occupied by patients with the disease.

In some hospitals it is more than six in 10.

But what is worrying ministers and NHS leaders is that the number is just going to increase.

In the spring it took nearly three weeks after lockdown for hospital cases to peak.

The last six days have seen in excess of 50,000 new infections confirmed each day across the UK - a number of these infections are next week's hospital admissions.

It is why the UK's chief medical officers were warning there was a "material risk" of some hospitals being overwhelmed if something did not change.

Presentational grey line
Mr Johnson spoke after UK chief medical officers recommended the Covid threat level be increased to five - its highest level.

Level five means the NHS may soon be unable to handle a further sustained rise in cases, the medical officers said in a joint statement.

NHS Providers, which represents health service trusts, say hospitals are at a "critical point" and that "immediate and decisive action" is needed.

Announcing tougher measures in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55538937

NiklauseFred:
Lol you signed up for it sir
Good morning,good day and good evening

Signed and thumb-printed with 10 fingers.
Voluntarily, without any maleficence, threats, and or duress. Mi lord.

Richdee1:
Buh we go reach there soon

AMEN to that.

Richdee1:
So NA female you be all this while
Lol. Congrats once again

Congratulations Jaycew. As others have asked, Please furnish us with necessary info when you settle down. Per the Winter, Thermal wears and hot tea 24/7 to the rescue. Winter is depressing, dark and gloomy.

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning and I look outside to see everything frozen, Cars, grasses, road etc. I will say to myself, why do I have to be here?, infact why do I have to go to work in his cold? But 20 minutes later, I am on the road.

Ah leak oh, unhm. Sure he will rebound from this surely. He is still the richest Black man.

NiklauseFred:
Lol my bad? Thought you had already seen the thread sir.

I'm doing great and you?

I am fine, I saw the thread today.
May we encourage the OP to continue the thread.