March 6, 1995

LACK OF HOSPITAL OVERSIGHT TAKES A TOLL The thick medical texts that Love Njoku consulted seemed to confirm what she had suspected -- her pregnancy was not proceeding as smoothly as the midwife at North Central Bronx Hospital was saying. So she called the midwife, who told her not to worry. Two months later, Mrs. Njoku's baby was born dead. The 8-pound 14-ounce boy's heart had stopped beating a day before he was delivered on Jan. 17, 1993. It was the first time during her pregnancy that she was examined by an obstetrician. If there is a lesson to be learned from Mrs. Njoku's journey through New York's public hospital system, it is that even the most diligent of expectant mothers can be defeated by a medical bureaucracy that sometimes provides only minimal care. A1. Mayor Giuliani said that a report detailing a high death rate among newborn babies in public hospitals demonstrated the need for the city to reduce its ownership of these hospitals. B5.

Here, in the former playground of pirates, a new alliance of lawyer-buccaneers has banded together in quest of fabulous treasure. They have mounted against the tobacco industry the largest and potentially the most lucrative class-action suit in history, one that could win billions of dollars for smokers and their lawyers. The cigarette companies, with more than $48 billion in annual revenues, have never had to pay as much as a penny of monetary penalties in a court of law. But Okla B. Jones 2d, a Federal judge in New Orleans, has just cleared the way for the first class action against the tobacco industry in a Federal court. The potential for booty is so enticing that the high-profile stars of the plaintiffs' bar have put aside feuds about client fees and jurisdiction to take aim at the common enemy.

March has made yet another untriumphant entrance. Grey skies and cold temperatures. It is a month that seems to fit nowhere. Dreariness takes control and there are few signs of brightness. A flash of brilliance may be enough to get through, though, and New York's museum's provide it. Following is a look at how some of the bigger museums have fared over the past four years. These four museums have experienced decreases in attendance. The 1993 attendance boom at the Museum of Modern Art can be explained in one word: Matisse. Henri Matisse: A Retrospective, drew record crowds to the museum.

A month ago, St. John's was a team headed nowhere. It had lost 9 of 10 games and the operative word was survival. There was talk of players transferring to other schools, of coaches not being in control, of a program in a free fall. What a difference a month can make. Now the team that was headed nowhere is talking of post-season tournaments. Not just the Big East or the National Invitation Tournament either. No, the Red Storm is brimming with confidence after an 86-77 triumph over 23d-ranked Georgetown yesterday at Madison Square Garden. Now there is talk about qualifying for the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. And somehow, that doesn't sound as silly as it once did.

A powerful movement to allow ordinary citizens to obtain permits easily for carrying concealed weapons is taking hold across the country, a product of both the new Republican control of many state Governments and of increasing fears that the police are incapable of protecting citizens from criminals. In the last few weeks alone, Legislatures in Virginia, Arkansas and Utah have passed laws that would make it far easier for law-abiding adults to obtain permits to carry handguns. Several other states, including Texas, the nation's second largest, are expected to pass similar bills soon.