Latest news with #Nunan
RTÉ News
7 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Surgeons in Gaza forced to work without necessary tools
A surgeon based in Gaza has said shortages and crumbling facilities are forcing healthcare workers to provide sub-optimal care for people that have "some of the worst injuries" she has tried to treat. Canadian doctor Deirdre Nunan works at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Dr Nunan said she did not have the relevant tools to carry out the necessary surgeries as an orthopaedic surgeon. She said the Nasser Hospital is crumbling because of numerous Israeli attacks on the facility. In the big operating theatres, she said less than half of the taps work, and in the satellite operating theatres, she said there are days when they have no water or not enough power to run the air-conditioning. "We are cobbling together what is left from the storage rooms to try to piece together something that looks like orthopedic fixation using things that are the wrong size, the wrong length really providing what is unfortunately sub-optimal care in a totally unfit environment for people that have some of the worse injuries I've ever tried to treat in my life," she said. Dr Nunan said healthcare workers are working in sweltering conditions that are dangerous for patients. "I have to decide between the limited amount of time that we have in the operating room for which patient gets to go into which surgery on which day," she added. Health officials say hospitals have been running out of fuel, food aid and medicine, risking a halt to vital operations. Dr Nunan has been coming to Gaza since 2019 and is currently on her sixth tour of duty. She has been in Gaza for the past three weeks. "It's just one scene of desperation after another through the three weeks that I've been here. "There are more and more people that are living on the hospital grounds and in the hospital corridors themselves." She said the people of Gaza have almost no material possessions left, adding that children are begging for food and fresh water. "I see it worsening before my eyes" Yesterday, the head of Gaza's largest hospital has said 21 children have died due to malnutrition and starvation in the Palestinian territory in the past three days. Dr Nunan described the lives of colleagues living in tents and the ruins of their homes as lives of "bare survival". She agreed with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the last lifelines keeping people alive in Gaza were collapsing. "I see it worsening before my eyes," she said. More than 100 aid organisations have warned that "mass starvation" is spreading in the Palestinian territory as Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the territory. Dr Nunan said the people are what bring her back to Gaza. "These are some of the most wonderful people I've ever met in the world. "I've had multi-year friendships with a lot of my colleagues that we keep in touch even when I'm not here." Despite the desperation, she said people in Gaza continue to be "so warm, so welcoming, so generous despite having nothing". She said the healthcare workers are the most dedicated and professional she has ever worked with. "For me it continues to be a privilege to come to Gaza even though I am absolutely heartbroken and extremely, extremely angry with the world for allowing this desecration to take place and for doing so little to stop it."
eNCA
21-07-2025
- eNCA
Violent behaviour in primary schools
JOHANNESBURG - A new study by UNISA senior lecturer Dr Julie Rubbi Nunan highlights a troubling increase in violence, bullying, and vandalism in South African primary schools a trend that is severely affecting teaching and learning. Dr Nunan, who specialises in early childhood development, says a zero-tolerance approach to these behaviours is essential. She also stresses the importance of equipping teachers with the skills to manage learners effectively. With many children coming from traumatic backgrounds, Nunan believes schools must adopt positive and supportive strategies to assist learners in a meaningful way.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bridgton man charged with threatening to 'shoot' Trump
Apr. 8—Police arrested a Bridgton man who allegedly threatened to shoot and kill President Donald Trump while speaking to an undercover officer Saturday, according to court documents. Kevin Bell, 46, walked into a local restaurant and began speaking with Special Agent Bradford Nunan of the United States Secret Service. Though Nunan was wearing plain clothes and driving an unmarked vehicle, Bell spotted him as a law enforcement officer after asking restaurant staff whom the vehicle belonged to, the officer said in the criminal complaint. Bell allegedly told Nunan about previous encounters with law enforcement and several social media posts that he said were flagged by the Secret Service and the FBI and "got him in trouble," before making a threat against Trump, Nunan said. "I wanted to shoot (former President George W.) Bush but didn't, but now Trump is in and I don't care for him," Nunan quoted Bell as saying. He allegedly added "I'll try to shoot him" or "I'll just shoot him." Bell is charged with making a threat against the president, which is a Class D, felony-level crime, according to court documents. He faces up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. The U.S. District Court in Portland issued an arrest warrant for Bell Monday, two days after the alleged threats. Witnesses, including Nunan, described Bell's behavior leading up to the conversation as odd, according to the complaint. Bell was taken into protective custody in February after threatening to kill his psychiatrist, Nunan said. In 2023, he threatened to "overdose on Zoloft" on a flight to Kansas City, Missouri, to force an emergency landing, Nunan said. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Only two religious bodies offer contributions to mother and baby redress scheme
Only two of eight religious bodies linked to mother and baby homes in Ireland have offered to contribute to a survivor redress scheme, a report has found. The Sisters of Bon Secours offered 12.97 million euro (about £11 million) – a sum deemed as meaningful and accepted by the Irish Government. The Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul has proposed contributing a building to the scheme. That offer is to be considered by the Government. A third religious body – the Sisters of St John of God – declined to contribute to the scheme but offered a conditional donation of 75,000 euro (£64,000) to be used for a charitable purpose associated with mother and baby home survivors. Min. @NormaFoleyTD1 today published the report of the independent negotiator, Ms. Sheila Nunan Ms. Nunan engaged with eight religious bodies involved in the institutions over a period of some 20 months Full Press Release: — Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, Youth (@dcediy) April 8, 2025 The remaining five bodies – the Congregation of Lady of the Good Shepherd; the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy; the Legion of Mary; and the Church of Ireland – made no offer. The details were contained in a report compiled by Sheila Nunan, the independent negotiator appointed by the Government to engage with the organisations over financial redress. The negotiation was part of a bid to secure contributions from religious bodies towards the cost of the Government-established Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. The scheme will cost more than 800 million euro (£680 million) and the Government had been seeking around 270 million (£231 million) in total from the religious bodies. A commission of investigation was set up in 2015 to examine homes run by the state and religious organisations where tens of thousands of unmarried Irish women were sent to have their babies. The commission found that almost 170,000 women and children passed through the institutions from 1922 until the last one closed in 1998. The investigation exposed the often harsh conditions and unforgiving regimes many women and children experienced in the institutions. Minister for Children Norma Foley expressed disappointment at the approach adopted by the majority of religious bodies to the redress scheme. 'The commission (of investigation) made significant findings in relation to the failings of the state and religious organisations who together ran mother and baby and county home institutions,' said Ms Foley. 'I know that people across Irish society, both religious and lay, have been distressed and appalled by the harsh conditions that women who became pregnant outside of marriage endured in these institutions. 'They had to face unfair, unwarranted and unbearable shame and stigma both inside the walls of the mother and baby homes and outside the walls from both state and society.' She added: 'The state has accepted its own responsibility for what happened to women and their children in mother and baby homes by firstly apologising and also setting up a payment scheme. 'A process was put in place to seek a financial contribution towards the cost of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme from religious bodies associated with mother and baby and county home institutions. 'While acknowledging the financial contribution by the Sisters of Bon Secours, I believe that much more could have been done by the other religious bodies concerned. 'I would encourage other religious bodies to reflect further on their willingness to make a meaningful contribution to the payment scheme and note that my department is available to engage with them on this matter at any stage.'
