Surgery

I am constantly amazed how the obvious gets overlooked – at least what should be obvious to the profession or trade involved. This is an abbreviated quote from the International Herald Tribune of June 2008.

The World Heath Organization has issued the first guidelines aimed at reducing complications and deaths from the rising number of operations being performed. A list of simple safety checks could halve the rate of surgical complications. One guideline calls for members of the masked surgical team to identify themselves and their roles and to ask simple questions such as “Does everyone agree that this is Patient X undergoing a hernia repair?”: to mark the correct site of surgery to avoid operating on the wrong patient. Checking for allergies to drugs, counting sponges and needles to ensure none is left in the patient. When this checklist is discussed with non-medical people the reaction is: "You mean you haven’t been doing this all along!”

 Victoria Supermarket

Today's economic situation demands looking around carefully as to where is the best and cheapest place to shop. I was recommended recently to a supermarket at the mall/complex opposite Bezeq and the bus terminal at the junction of Raanana and Kfar Saba. They have different discounts there most days of the week. When I was there recently, the tomatoes, onions, lemons and clementinas were 0.89 agorot per kilo, maximum purchase 3 kg of each item. However, you could make two separate purchases of 3 kg. and you do not have to spend any minimum sum to partake of these discounts.

If you want more details of exactly how to get there etc. phone: 09 743 9000.

Advertising

I do wish they would send out less advertising material. I am one of those who need to read everything before I throw it away or decide to file it for future use. I usually stand by the garbage container after taking the post from the box, but somehow a lot of it still arrives on my desk to be pushed from pile to pile before I have the courage to relocate it to the waste paper basket.

Water Saving

I am sure many of us are fed up with hearing about all those wonderful water tips that are somehow beyond us – such as filling a bucket with the cold water that comes before the hot shower water – but then you do not have the strength to carry the bucket down the stairs without spilling water and then take it out to the garden, or putting a container under the kitchen sink and then looking at all the bits and pieces of food remains and wonder if your potted plants will enjoy this meal. Well my contribution to this is: in the kitchen after having added to the tap a water-saving device, teach yourself to turn the tap on very slowly and stop when it comes to a minimum flow. I measured this once and was amazed how little water I was using. The same regards the sink in the bathroom and the shower. When cleaning your teeth, use a cup and wash the brush in the cup afterwards. I remember as a child washing and rinsing my face in the same water in the sink and, after all, that is what you do when you have a bath. However if you have some simple and interesting ideas on water saving, send them to me at the address given below, and maybe we can make up a list of such dos and don'ts for the coming summer.

If you have hints or tidbits you would like to share with us, please send them to:

Naomi Ariel, Tidbits, Comments & Oddities, Esra, POB.3132, Herzliya 46104 or email: ariel54@netvision.net.il