Latest news with #PPE
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
The fight to keep measles out of nurseries raises issues of freedom and responsibility
Frances Ryan describes nursery staff donning aprons and gloves, in an effort to prevent the spread of measles (Look at the rise of measles in England and ask yourself: have we learned a single thing from Covid?, 23 July). This raises important issues. We are unaware of evidence that this would be effective. As measles is spread by coughing, sneezing, singing etc, should masks be worn? Two-thirds of cases of measles this year have been in children aged 10 years or younger. Should we be asking the children in the nursery to wear PPE as well? What will be the effect on young children of being cared for by people in aprons and gloves, and possibly masks – surely not good for their emotional development? More importantly, as Frances describes, we refer to the 'personal choice' of parents not to have their child vaccinated with the safe and effective MMR vaccine. This 'personal choice' should not extend to putting other children at risk. In a nursery there will be unimmunised children – not through a parent's decision, but because the child is not eligible. Some of the children will be too young to be vaccinated with MMR and occasionally there will be a child whose immune system does not work properly. If either of these groups of children develops measles, they are more likely to have serious complications, including brain damage and death. As they cannot be vaccinated, the only way to protect them is to ensure that their contacts are immunised. With freedom comes responsibilities. Perhaps when measles is around, children who are not immunised should be excluded from nursery. What all too often happens is that the child who cannot be immunised is excluded. Is that right?Dr David Elliman and Prof Helen BedfordUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Firefighters monitor Kuantan landfill blaze 24/7 to prevent spread
KUANTAN: The Pahang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) is maintaining 24-hour surveillance at the Jerangau-Jabor landfill fire site in Mukim Sungai Karang to prevent further spread. Gebeng Fire and Rescue Station chief Zahidah Ali confirmed the blaze, spanning nearly one hectare, was contained by 5.30 pm yesterday. A team of 40 personnel, working in shifts, continues monitoring to safeguard high-risk areas, including gas pipelines, electrical substations, and underground fibre optic cables located five to eight metres from the fire. 'We created firebreaks, and the risk of spread remains low,' Zahidah told reporters. Stakeholders are collaborating to reinforce containment efforts. Challenges include extreme heat, though crews adhere to safety protocols with PPE. Thick smoke reduced visibility for motorists, prompting contractors to cover the landfill with soil to mitigate emissions. The fire's cause remains under investigation, with hot weather suspected as a factor. The Department of Environment reported unhealthy API levels in Balok Baru (139) and Kemaman yesterday, improving to moderate (96) by 3 pm today. - Bernama
The Sun
22-07-2025
- The Sun
Civil defence rescues iPhone from 10-metre cliff in Jelebu
FOR the first time, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) received a unique request from the public to retrieve a personal items in the form of an iPhone recently. According to Kosmo, Jelebu district Civil Defence officer, Lt (CD) Mohd Najib Abdul Karim said his team received a call at 11.45am on July 12 from a woman in her 20s asking for help to retrieve her phone which had fallen down a steep hillside. 'Upon arriving at Bukit Batu Sawa, the Civil Defence team found the victim and her friend at the location. Civil Defence personnel wore personal protective equipment (PPE) and prepared equipment to descend the steep hillside. 'The depth to descend was estimated at about 10 metres with slippery rock surfaces. The gadget was successfully brought up and handed over to its owner. The operation was completed at 1.38pm,' he told the Malay daily when contacted. The special service, he said, was the first time his team had received such a request, as they are usually involved in operations helping accident victims, flood victims and other emergencies.
Daily Record
19-07-2025
- Daily Record
Doctor and husband jailed for selling stolen NHS PPE on eBay during lockdown
Omer and Attiya Sheikh made almost £8,000 from selling the PPE equipment they knew had been stolen from the NHS. A doctor and her husband were each jailed for 10 months yesterday after selling stolen hospital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on eBay during the first covid lockdown. Crooks Attiya Sheikh and husband Omer Sheikh generated almost £8,000 from selling PPE, that they knew had been pinched from the NHS, on four eBay accounts between May and October 2020. The couple were exposed after NHS Scotland supplier Fannin spotted its products for sale on the auction website. Detectives found that the couple had been selling the much-needed PPE online for £15 to £20 when 'the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety' at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The pair were sentenced to 10 months in prison with Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill saying the doctor had committed an 'egregious breach of trust' while working at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, and that the offence 'merits a custodial sentence'. Sheriff Gill slammed the couple and told them: 'Mrs Sheikh, you are 46, a health professional and at the time were a doctor with the NHS. At this time, the NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis, there was an extreme shortage of PPE, not only in this country but globally. 'As a doctor, you clearly knew this PPE was required for your colleagues and the safety indeed of their families. It is difficult to imagine a more egregious breach of trust not only in respect of your colleagues but of the general public.' 'You sold this stolen PPE for financial gain. Mr Sheikh, I don't differentiate between you and your wife. You done this together for sheer greed.' Paisley Sheriff Court heard Attiya Sheikh worked as a doctor at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, while her 48-year-old husband worked front-of-house at a family restaurant. Dr Sheikh was sacked by the NHS the day after she pleaded guilty to the 'abhorrent offence.' The town's court previously heard cops raided the Sheikh family home in Thornliebank in October 2020. During the search, 121 boxes of PPE, belonging to the NHS, were found in the couple's attic. The procurator fiscal depute told the court: 'Officers searched the attic and found 121 boxes of blue medical gloves, facemasks and electronic equipment that included a silver iPhone.' The value of the stolen items was put at £7,827. Attiya Sheikh's lawyer, John Scullion KC, told Paisley Sheriff Court that his client bitterly regretted her actions. He said: 'She acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents.' Faye Cook, procurator fiscal for North Strathclyde, said of the case: "This was a particularly egregious crime. 'The public put their trust in medical practitioners. As a hospital doctor, Attiya Sheikh betrayed that trust at a time of acute need when patients and NHS staff relied heavily on the availability of PPE. 'For her and her husband to benefit financially from this criminal conduct will shock many people. But now they have both been brought to account for their crimes and must face the consequences of their actions.' Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland counter fraud services, added: 'This successful prosecution reaffirms NHSScotland's commitment to safeguarding vital resources for health service provision as intended by the taxpayer.'
Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Telegraph
NHS doctor and husband made £8,000 selling stolen Covid PPE
A doctor and her husband who made almost £8,000 out of 'sheer greed' selling personal protective equipment (PPE) stolen from the NHS during the early months of the pandemic have been jailed for 10 months each. Attiya and Omer Sheikh admitted resetting a quantity of PPE which was the property of NHS Scotland between May 30 and Oct 7 2020 when they appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court in May. Reset is the offence of handling stolen goods. It had been 'dishonestly appropriated' by persons unknown to the prosecutor, court documents stated. The couple were jailed when they returned to the court for sentencing on Friday, with the term reduced from 12 months because of their early guilty pleas. Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said they both knew they were in possession of PPE stolen from the NHS. 'Egregious breach of trust' She said: 'The time period was significant. This was a time when the world was in a heightened state of fear and anxiety at the start of the pandemic. The NHS was facing an unprecedented crisis. There was an extreme shortage of PPE. 'As a doctor, you clearly knew that PPE was essential for your colleagues. You chose to sell PPE which you knew was stolen for financial gain. It is hard to imagine a more egregious breach of trust. You did this together out of sheer greed.' Prosecutors said that in July 2020, NHS counter fraud services began an investigation into the potential theft and resale of PPE, including medical gloves and masks, on eBay. The investigation found four separate eBay accounts connected to the accused. The couple made £7,827 selling PPE on the site, the court heard. Police and NHS counter fraud service specialists searched the couple's home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, in October 2020 and found 121 boxes of PPE in the attic. At the time, Attiya Sheikh, 46, was a doctor at University Hospital Hairmyres in East Kilbride, but she has not worked for NHS Lanarkshire since 2020. John Scullion KC, representing the doctor, said the offence had a 'very significant' impact on the mother of three, both professionally and personally, and she was now unemployed. 'She accepts full responsibility for her actions and acknowledges the significant breach of trust the offence represents, and the potential impact of her actions both on her professional colleagues and on society more generally, and expresses remorse which appears to be both genuine and profound,' he said. 'She has dedicated her adult life to the study of medicine ... in order that she could make a positive contribution to society. 'Instead, because of her actions, she has now lived for almost five years with the shame of having betrayed the values which have otherwise guided her life. She bitterly regrets her actions.' 'He recognises his mistake' Advocate Kevin Henry, representing Mr Sheikh, 48, said: 'He recognises that it was a big, big mistake on his part and understands the impact this offence will have had on front-line NHS workers at a time when PPE was at a premium.' Gordon Young, head of NHS Scotland counter fraud services, said: 'This individual was aware that this personal protective equipment had been unlawfully appropriated and as a clinician she would have understood the importance of PPE for NHS Scotland staff during the Covid pandemic. 'Our investigation included locating 121 boxes of gloves intended to protect our front-line staff.'
