| Polyclinics can help toou
THE Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has taken more than its fair share of verbal lashes, fuelled by the horror stories appearing every other week in sections of the media. The majority of the complaints stem from the long wait in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) section, where some persons say they were forced to wait, in some instances, more than 24 hours before they could see a doctor. A few days ago, officials from the QEH made the pertinent point that many persons automatically go to the A&E regardless of the severity of their ailment and find themselves having to wait until the more critical patients are treated. One health official pointed out that many of these ailments could very well be treated at the polyclinics, which would consequently ease the pressure off the QEH.
Teen who Died After Boot Camp Beating to be Exhumed for Autopsy
"It's a crying shame -- we've got to go pull our son up again just to get the truth," said Robert Anderson, the boy's father.
The family is disputing the conclusion of Bay County's medical examiner, Dr. Charles Siebert, that the boy died from hemorrhaging caused by the usually benign condition of sickle cell trait, and not from the 30-minute altercation. He was kneed, struck and dragged by guards on his first day at the Bay County Sheriff's Office Boot Camp for juvenile offenders. Anderson eventually was taken to a Pensacola hospital where he died the next day, Jan. 6.
The ordeal was captured by a camp security camera and later broadcast nationally. Siebert said Friday the new autopsy "a good idea."
"Hopefully we can come to a consensus," Siebert said.
Schering-Plough reports 75% rise in profit
Schering-Plough Corp. said Monday its fourth-quarter profit surged 75 percent as strong sales of the drugmaker's cholesterol, arthritis and allergy medicines helped offset rising research and marketing spending. Kenilworth-based Schering-Plough said net income totaled $182 million, or 12 cents per share, up from $104 million, or 7 cents per share, a year ago. The latest quarter includes a charge of 4 cents per share to streamline the company's manufacturing operations and a charge of a penny per share to license an over-the-counter heartburn treatment. Excluding items, the company posted profit of 17 cents per share, matching Wall Street's consensus estimate, according to a Thomson Financial poll. "We're very pleased about the strong quarter, a strong year and a strong three-year track record," said Fred Hassan, who took over as chairman and chief executive officer 3 1/2 years ago and started an ambitious turnaround plan.
A Chinese Internet Play with a Defensive Twist
Are you looking to add a little Chinese Internet flavor to your investment diet, but worried about getting a case of indigestion? Look no further than shares of CDC (Nasdaq: CHINA), one of my favorite China plays. Don't let the name fool you; CDC isn't some dowdy company engaged in the manufacturing of widgets that went out of style in your grandfather's day. Quite the opposite, in fact. The company, formerly known as China.com, is a hybrid play that offers investors exposure to two red-hot sectors of the Chinese market -- the market for wireless value-added services (i.e. ringtones, text messaging, etc.) and the "traditional" Chinese Internet market (through its China.com Portal business and CDC Games). Not only that, CDC also offers a fair bit of downside protection in the form of its newly expanded global enterprise software business.
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