Tawfeek Al-Shara’abi
Yemen Times
It is vital to see one’s city clean and beautiful. It is unquestioned to affirm that a civilized society is measured by how clean it is. Thus cleanliness should be paid heed to achieve a real civilized society. What is unusually noticeable is that cleanliness is such a secondary matter in our society. It is not given the attention needed and as a result piles of rubbish frequently accumulate in streets, corners, alleys, etc. However, when it comes to times of celebration, things radically change.
It was undoubtedly clear that cleaning campaigns were extensively launched during the past few months, particularly during the unity festivities. Not only that but this was associated with a regular supervision by the authorities concerned whose activities used to be in full swing. Streets were cleaned and re-asphalted, walls were painted white; pavements were well-built and planted. It was also associated with developing-awareness programs on TVs, radio, and other media, to keep the city clean. However, the time celebration was over, there has been a visible mark-down in such activities. One of the virtues of the unity festivals was that walls were built and painted white. Actually that was a good action to be appreciated. It reflected a good and clean picture.
However, it is a pity to say that good things never last. As soon as these festivities were over; developing-awareness programs disappeared, the authorities’ supervision dwindled, and cleaning campaigns receded. What is more distressing is that the white picture we used to see has been changed into a defaced one as companies, computer and English institutes and other institutions have started putting their logos and mottos on public and private building walls.

Advertisement Value:
It is a fact that advertisement is such a pivotal device for marketing goods. It is a science by itself. Many a company spends a great deal of its capital on advertising. These companies are highly aware of the value and meaning of advertisement. They also know how to advertise following the state-of-the-art techniques including putting ads on newspapers, magazines, space channels, etc. Some put their logos on T-shirts and distribute them for free. Competitions may be organized and draw is made for valuable prizes, consequently attracting the public attention to their goods and products.
However, the case in our country seems to be different. Companies’ and institutes’ owners are not aware of advertisement value. If at all they think of it, they ask some guys to go and paint their mottos on public and private building walls or in any space available. However, they are completely mistaken for instead of gaining in publicity, putting ads randomly on streets will makes all feel repulsive and loathsome to such ads and goods. Besides, ads deface the beauty around.
Therefore, they did this out of their ignorance and their premature awareness to the importance of cleanliness. They also carry out that as they find it a money-saving way. This has actually made streets and walls appear like a real dirt.
The funny thing is that some people go on writing their names and memories for remembrance. Others may put and write graffiti. How stupid?!
What is killing is that this is done before the very eyes of the authorities concerned who have never bothered to move to stop this bad and chaotic conduct.

Problem of Authorities Concerned:
One can easily attribute the occurrence of this phenomenon to the lack of sense of responsibility on part of the authorities concerned. It is their duty to launch cleaning campaigns; introduce developing-awareness programs to create awareness among the people on TV, radio and in schools, companies and all other governmental and non-governmental institutions. By this all sections of the society will derive direct benefit. The authorities concerned have also to set up special boards in streets, specially for ads, posters and stickers; put litter-bins in streets; conduct field supervision to enhance rules and force their application, imposing fines in case violations were reported.

Putting litter-bins in streets only will never do as long as these officials will never come up with the goods and carry out things out of interest and responsibility. Not when there are high instructions from top officials in the Authority.

In short, maintaining cleanliness in our society, in general, and in the capital in particular, will never be achieved unless there is an interest and sense of responsibility by those officials in charge. It should not be restricted to some time and some occasions. Rather, it should be for all the time. I do cherish the idea that our arm-chair officials will respond to this clarion call and move to retrieve things before going back to the old DIRTY days.

Yasser M. Ahmad,
Yemen Times
Many non-governmental organizations are to be found all over the world. These work in different spheres for the development of their societies.
In my opinion, health care organizations are the most important institutions because they have undertaken responsibility for caring for people’s health. Such organizations play an undeniable role in developing countries where diseases claim lives of countless people, specially of women and children.
In Yemen, there is a good number of international organizations working in different domains, but few of them offer health services. One of those outstanding health care organizations in Yemen is Hammer Forume. V.
Hammer Forume was established in 1990 and began working in Yemen seven years later.

Dr. Ali Abdullah Al-Zakhmi, chairman of the society in an interview to the Yemen Times said that the society offered health services in all cities and districts of the Republic. Many patients who badly required treatment abroad are taken to Germany under arrangement by the society.
In this regard, the society conducts a number of field surveys on all epidemic diseases and focuses on those people who can not afford treatment. Files of such patients are then sent to Germany and as soon as positive replies are received, traveling procedures are finalized by the society itself. Patients are always sent with representatives from the society’s office in Sana’a.
The society receives cases including, congenial anomalies, Osteomyelitis, heart diseases and many others such as those related to malignant tumor in brain and spine.
In 1999, 85 patients were sent for treatment in Germany. During this year 78 patients have been sent so far for the same reasons, most of whom have returned in good health. “Some patients need a long time of treatment,” said chairman. “For example, one of the patients spent more than 7 months with DM 3,000 daily expenses.”
A senior delegation from the society headquarters in Germany visits Yemen biennially to do a number of operations and to participate in vaccination campaigns.
The society also provides some patients with drugs specially those scarcely found in local markets. Some patients’ families are even financially supported while patients are in Germany for treatment.
In addition, Hammer Forume supports a number of hospitals here such as Burns Center in Taiz and the Military Hospital in Sana’a.
An agreement has been reached between the society’s representative and governor of Taiz to build a center for burns treatment in which the governor committed himself to provide the buildings while the society will provide necessary equipment and train the cadre. “However,” said Dr. Al-Zakhmi “We have no idea whether the buildings are ready or not.”
Coordination with the Ministry of health is unlikely to take place. “Complicated routine has made many donors give up helping Yemen especially when they see that money donated is not spent through its proper channels,” said Dr. Al-Zakhmi, “let alone the Ministry’s orders to send some patients, who can not be cured, abroad,” he added.
Dr. Abbas Mohammed Al-Samawi, Head of Orthopedic Department in the Al-Jomhouri Hospital said that the chairman of the society visited the hospital requesting to be briefed on cases in the hospital. Some patients were then chosen to be taken to Germany for treatment. Moreover, a German professor visited the Orthopedic Department and carried on free of charge examinations for 30-50 patients a day.

Eye injuries in children are a significant cause of unilateral blindness in Yemen. Unfortunately we don’t know the extent of these injuries because of lack of information allover Yemen. An internal audit performed by the authors in the eye department in Al-Thawra hospital covering one calendar year (1999) showed the following: -

•14.3% of all eye surgical procedures performed were related to eye injuries.
•The eye was ruptured and needed repair in 79.7% of these procedures.
•66.2% were children under the age of 16 years.
•From the above numbers we realize the burden of eye injuries in Yemen and it shows that almost two thirds of these patients are children under 16 years.
•Ocular trauma is a frequent reason for emergency department visits at pediatric hospitals. The extent of trauma may range from simple superficial injuries to devastating penetrating injuries of the eyelids, lacrimal system, and globe.
•Males usually outnumber the females. The frequency of injuries among boys increased markedly from the age of 8. The majority of injuries occurred in children between the ages of 11 to 15 years.
•Ocular injuries in children above 10 years of age are most commonly play and sport-related, whereas injuries at home accounts for the majority of trauma in children less than 10 years. Stones and sharp objects are the most common and most of the sharp objects are household instruments. In Yemen missile injuries from children playing with BB guns or sharp projectiles are common cause for lacerated eyes.
•Eye findings are very common in physically abused children. It is very rare that these findings necessitate surgery; however, ocular manifestations of child are important for the eye doctor to maintain a high index of suspicion for child abuse in the traumatized eye.

REMEMBER
•Trauma to the eye is common in our community.
•Most of these patients are in the pediatric age group.
•The numbers above don’t include the cases of blunt injuries that are referred to the eye clinic.
•We need to increase the awareness about safety among the people in our community and children in their schools to decrease the number of this avoidable problem.

Routine eye exam by an eye specialist is very important.
It is your sight and your eyes need every care they deserve.

Mahfouth A Bamashmus FRCSEd, FRCOphth
Ibn-Al-Haitham Clinic
University of Science & Technology, Sana’a
Ahmed Al-Shabouti, MD
Al-Thawra Hospital, Sana’a