Health – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana
US Southern Command begins free surgery, knowledge sharing at GPHC, West Demerara Regional Hospital
Doctors from the United States (US) Southern Command on Monday began performing surgeries, providing dental services and conducting professional knowledge exchanges at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the West Demerara Regional Hospital, the American embassy here said. The doctors are drawn from the US’ Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) and are part ...
Doctors from the United States (US) Southern Command on Monday began performing surgeries, providing dental services and conducting professional knowledge exchanges at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the West Demerara Regional Hospital, the American embassy here said. The doctors are drawn from the US’ Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) and are part ...
2 years 4 months ago
Health, News
Bursaries for 2023 European Drugs Summer School, Portugal
7 March 2023 is the deadline to apply for a registration fee bursary for the 2023 European Drugs Summer School (EDSS) in Lisbon, Portugal
View the full post Bursaries for 2023 European Drugs Summer School, Portugal on NOW Grenada.
2 years 4 months ago
Education, External Link, Health, edss, european drugs summer school, portugal, university institute of lisbon
Daniel Rivera: more than RD$20 billion has been invested in the health sector
The Government has invested more than 20 billion pesos in the health sector in its two years in office, Health Minister Daniel Rivera said this Sunday when giving a conference in Santiago. The figure indicated by the official was distributed in expenses corresponding to the lines of infrastructure, equipment, high-cost medicines, and Promese/Cal.
Rivera indicated that only through the Directorate of Access to High-Cost Medications, some RD$9 billion have been made available annually to benefit around 15,000 patients with chronic diseases, which in two years adds up to more than 18 billion in that area. While an amount of RD $5,126,266,797 have been invested in infrastructure (construction, reconstruction, and equipment of 179 health centers).
Likewise, he highlighted the investment of more than RD$3 billion in the budget increase of the Essential Medicines and Central Logistics Support program (Promese/Cal), which went from RD$1,568 million in 2022 to RD$3 billion in 2023.
2 years 4 months ago
Health, Local
9-1-1 staff and ambulances on the brink of collapse
The main facilities of the Directorate of Medical Emergencies are in deplorable conditions. It is the building where the so-called “Caja del Seguro” previously operated. One look at the front, and the impression is that it will soon be demolished. A source revealed to Diario Libre that the internal state of the structure is just as bad as the outside.
Deep leaks in the walls, areas infested with humidity, and meeting rooms without tables or chairs. Bathrooms with pipes about to collapse, among other problems that the building presents.
It is thought that a building of more than 50 years of construction drags the absence of maintenance as governments usually do. If that is true, so is the lack of funds that would be affecting the Directorate of Medical Emergencies, where, despite the fact that retired General Juan Manuel Méndez was appointed in June 2022, the administration does not start because the funds destined for the management are not arriving, nor has the general’s work team been approved: administration, human resources the spinal cord of the control and the employees who were appointed to it have still not been paid in seven months.
The teams of doctors and paramedics that provide emergency medical care services, which are reported through 9-1-1, are even worse off.
2 years 4 months ago
Health, Local
How new medicine can help infertility
INFERTILITY is defined as the failure to conceive after one year of regular intercourse without contraception, or the inability of a woman to carry a pregnancy to a live birth. Statistics show that infertility is estimated to affect 20 per cent of couples of reproductive age.
Dr Kamali Carroll, lab director at the Hugh Wynter Fertility Management Unit, lecturer and embryologist, recently broke down the topic at the Medical Disposables Continuing Education Seminar 'MPowered', at which she addressed the causes of infertility. She also explored solutions and shares how new medicine and technology can help.
Causes
Statistics show that 33 per cent of cases are female factor infertility, 20 per cent are male factor infertility, 39 per cent are a combination of male and female factor infertility, and eight per cent are unexplained infertility factors.
Female infertility is caused by a number of factors ranging from ovulation disorder cases, ageing, having diminished ovarian reserve, premature ovarian failure, and disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). There are also tubal causes and causes such as fibroids and endometriosis.
Male factor infertility is caused by several conditions. These include local, systemic or lifestyle conditions. Local conditions include varicocele (swollen vessels in the testicles), genitourinary infection, epididymo-orchitis (swelling of the testicle), or testicular trauma (injury to testicle). Systemic conditions include diabetes, cancer, and medications, while lifestyle factors include excessive smoking, exposure to pesticides, radiation, and excessive use of mobile devices close to the testicles (using a laptop on your lap for long periods, for example).
Treating infertility
Assisted conception is one of the main ways to treat infertility. This is when a patient uses medical intervention to become pregnant. There are two main types of assisted conception: artificial insemination and assisted reproductive technology (ART).
The most common type of artificial insemination is intrauterine insemination (IUI). With this technique sperm cells are inserted directly into the womb at the time of ovulation. An IUI is ideal for men with borderline sperm parameters, women with hostile cervical conditions, women with at least one patent (open) tube, men with ejaculatory dysfunctions, or for couples with unexplained infertility reasons.
Unlike IUI, ART involves treating infertility with both the eggs and sperm being outside of the body. The most common type of ART is in vitro fertilisation (IVF). In this process the woman is given drugs to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. The eggs are then removed from the ovaries and inseminated in the lab, where they are grown and observed, after which the best quality embryos are taken and transferred to the uterus. IVF is suitable for individuals with previous failed IUIs, poor sperm count, blocked tubes, diminished ovarian reserve, recurrent miscarriages, endometriosis, and PCOS.
Innovations to treat infertility
Over the past decade, drugs, technology, and new research have become available to treat infertility and assist with conception.
Laboratory techniques include preimplantation genetic testing, which is a technique used to identify genetic abnormalities in embryos with IVF before putting the embryo back into the uterus.
Assisted hatching is when a laser is used to create a hole in the zona pellucida (layer of the egg), which forces the embryo to hatch and leads to higher pregnancy rates.
Vitrification is a complete dehydration process to freeze eggs that can be stored for later use.
Embryoscope is when eggs are grown in a womb-like incubator in the lab.
Third party reproduction options include donor eggs that have been preserved at an egg bank, which usually comes from a younger female donor. Additionally, there is gestational surrogacy; this is a process in which the child will have no genetic link to the surrogate.
Dr Carroll explained that, contrary to popular belief, many assisted conception services are available right here in Jamaica for couples experiencing infertility.
2 years 4 months ago
Minister of Health: “25% of cholera cases are asymptomatic”
The Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera, said Friday that 25% of cholera-positive patients do not have symptoms.
“People think that whenever they get cholera, they will get diarrhea, no. There are 25% who do not feel anything, who can walk without any problem. There is a 25 % that does not feel anything, that can walk without any problem. This is a disease that can be largely asymptomatic,” said the Health Minister.
Rivera assured that there is reasonable disease control in the border area and recalled that the bulk of active cases in Haiti is in Port-au-Prince.
“The control is day by day. If there is a good vaccination there (in Haiti), we believe it will help us in this care,” said the minister.
The head of the Health Cabinet assured that out of 1.2 million cholera vaccines sent to Haiti, 800 thousand people have already been immunized.
“It will help us less. The more of their population is vaccinated, the less risk for us,” he said.
Market visit
The minister made a tour of the Santo Domingo East Municipal Market, located in the El Almirante sector, to verify the sanitary conditions and the handling of the products offered there and to ensure the maintenance of hygiene measures and good food handling to prevent cholera.
The official indicated that most of the food consumed in this area, which is currently the focus of attention for cholera, is dispatched from this market.
La Zurza declares itself free of cholera after a month without infected persons.
“With the cases of cholera that have been registered we have called attention to the care and handling of food and mainly the consumption of safe drinking water, where there is drinking water and good hygiene with vegetables and other products, there will be no contamination by cholera,” said Dr. Rivera.
He said that as of today, there were only four cholera inpatients and that surveillance is being maintained in the hospitals and the tents set up for the detection and attention of suspected cases in the different sectors of the country.
At the end of the visit, he congratulated the workers and administrative personnel of the market for the favorable conditions in which it is located. At the same time, he asked not to neglect and maintain these levels to avoid the spread of the bacteria.
2 years 4 months ago
Health, Local
Health – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana
Fmr US President Jimmy Carter, who spearheaded Guyana’s electoral reforms, in hospice care
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who convinced Guyana’s then People’s National Congress (PNC)-led administration to agree to major electoral reforms, has entered hospice care, instead of seeking more medical treatment. After a series of short hospital stays, the statement said, Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice ...
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who convinced Guyana’s then People’s National Congress (PNC)-led administration to agree to major electoral reforms, has entered hospice care, instead of seeking more medical treatment. After a series of short hospital stays, the statement said, Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice ...
2 years 4 months ago
Elections, Health, News, Politics
Government invests RD$9 billion a year in high-cost medicines
The Minister of Public Health and Social Assistance, Daniel Rivera, gave a master conference entitled “Health Impact Strategy of the government of Luis Abinader,” in which he presented the achievements made during this period in the health field.
During the dissertation, the official highlighted that during the two years of administration (2020-2022), some RD 5,126,266,797.59 had been invested in infrastructure and equipment in 179 health centers, saving the State some 5 billion pesos.
He said that in the Directorate of Access to High-Cost Medicines, the government currently invests some 9,000 million pesos annually to benefit about 15,000 patients with chronic diseases.
He stated that the current authorities found the country in a state of emergency, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, without an efficient protocol, so they sought a rapid and strategic response to implement, given the challenges and needs faced by the nation at that time.
In that sense, he explained the strategies implemented that resulted in the current development of the health sector.
“The health system did not have an emergency plan, and the regulatory and training framework was made more efficient to respond to any pandemic; the first level of care is being renovated, we increased the diagnostic capacity, implementation of mobile hospitals, relations with international organizations and public-private partnership and high training in human resources in health. Through all these initiatives developed by order of our President Luis Abinader, we have achieved what we are today in terms of health,” indicated Dr. Rivera.
In this context, Dr. Rivera said that the government responded quickly to any epidemiological situation that could arise after the passage of natural phenomena, such as the passage through the country of storm Fiona, as well as with preventive actions for smallpox, cholera, and other viruses.
He also detailed the investments made in remodeling, emergencies, new constructions, first-level centers, and specialties such as hemodialysis, oncology units, and diabetic foot, among others.
During his presentation, the official pointed out that President Luis Abinader has a great strategic vision to continue strengthening the health system in the Dominican Republic, such as the healthy municipalities programs with the implementation of the “Change your Lifestyle” Health Routes and the creation of healthy cities in the provinces of San Francisco de Macorís, San Pedro and San Cristóbal.
“From our Ministry of Health we have impacted more than 100,000 people with the Health Route journey in 17 provinces, with some 35 services such as: evaluations, general consultation, pediatric, blood typing, diagnostics, treatments and prevention oriented to non-communicable diseases, psychosocial support, delivery of medicines, National Health Insurance (SeNaSa) affiliation among other services.”
The also president of the Health Cabinet highlighted the achievements made in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, with which the country guaranteed vaccination for all citizens and was the third country to apply the third dose. Likewise, the government decided to use the drugs Tocilizumab and REGEN-COV in severe patients and was one of the first in the world with the lowest lethality of the disease.
He also highlighted that the country was one of the five nations with the best vaccination rate, the sixth in Latin America in implementing immunization in children, and the third in the region in carrying out Genomic Sequencing, being recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO/PAHO), for the strategies implemented during the pandemic.
The Minister of Health highlighted the different social programs implemented in the area of health, in which he highlighted the budget increase made in the Essential Medicines Program and Central Logistical Support (PROMESE/CAL), which went from RD 1,568 million in 2022 to RD 3,176 million in 2023 for essential medicines, benefiting around 17,000 low-income patients.
He also mentioned the work carried out by entities such as the National Health Service (SNS), SeNaSa, Uniendo Voluntades, the National Institute of Drinking Water and Sewerage (INAPA), the Ministry of Housing and Buildings, among others.
The Minister of Health held the conference at the UTESA University Convention Center at the invitation of the New Democrats External Sector movement, which officials attended, collaborators of the Ministry of Health, members of Congress, and special guests, among other personalities.
2 years 4 months ago
Health, Local
Opinion: In Turkey, Ukraine, and beyond, the necessity of trauma care
Watching news reports of the heroic relief efforts underway in Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquake there, I can imagine the terrible weight of emotional trauma that so many people are experiencing right now because I’ve experienced it myself.
A dozen years ago, as a young doctor with a background in emergency medicine, I felt prepared to handle disaster response situations. But I was totally unprepared for the constant exposure to widespread suffering and death that I experienced while providing emergency medical relief after the 2010 earthquake that killed 220,000 people in Haiti.
2 years 4 months ago
First Opinion, Advocacy, health care workers, Mental Health
Telemedicine as safe haven for sexual health
FEBRUARY is STD Awareness Month, and while our sexual health is incredibly personal and private, this doesn't mean we shouldn't take action to ensure that it is prioritised for ourselves and our sexual partners.
The sensitive nature of our sexual lives may cause us to attach shame and embarrassment to our sexual health, causing us to avoid doing checks and even having conversations with our health-care providers about concerns we may have.
Physical, mental, emotional, and social health all contribute to our sexual health. Being in good sexual health means being well-informed, careful, and respectful to yourself and others during your sexual encounters. On your path to improved sexual health your greatest tools will be communication, education, and safety, and with telemedicine you gain remote access to specialists to discuss any concerns, follow-ups, or assessments you may require — all specific to your personal history and health.
• Private, encrypted platforms: Telemedicine services, such as MDLink, operate on encrypted platforms. What this means is, any data shared via this platform will only be available to your doctor and selected authorised personnel within the office. You will not have to worry about the safety of your personal information being shared outside of this platform, whether that be via text, photo, video, or audio.
• No waiting rooms or in-person visits: The anxiety of sitting in a waiting room, knowing you're going to discuss something personal with your doctor, may cause you to feel some level of unease. To avoid this awkwardness you may skip the waiting room altogether. Telemedicine allows you to access your doctor from any location, as long as you have access to the Internet. This may be your office, bedroom, or even your car.
• Convenient testing: After meeting with your doctor online, if they do recommend that you do an STD screening they can send you all the lab forms virtually. To get your tests done you will not need to go into an office either. MDLink's Drive Thru Medical Centre on Old Hope Road in Kingston provides on-site testing which will allow you to remain in your vehicle and get your tests done.
• Your choice of communication method: Do you find face-to-face conversations uncomfortable when talking about sexual health? Would you rather talk on the phone or text? Telemedicine platforms such as MDLink allow you to choose what method of communication you want to use before you begin speaking with your doctor. Allowing you to make a personal choice will encourage you to feel more in control of the situation and more comfortable.
• Diagnosis and assessment of many STIs and STDs: While an STI/STD cannot be 100 per cent diagnosed without a lab test, your doctor may do preliminary assessments toward a diagnosis for STIs such as herpes, chlamydia, HPV, and gonorrhoea by using a telemedicine platform. You will be required to answer questions about your symptoms, and if you are comfortable they may request a video or photograph of any abnormal rashes or bumps you may be concerned about. After these conversations your doctor may suggest a prescription or recommend that you do a lab test for confirmation. Common symptoms of STIs may include pain when urinating, coloured discharge, or specific bumps or rashes. A description of this may lead your doctor closer to a diagnosis without actually seeing you in person.
Telemedicine is a modern, digital tool that aids in the accessibility and quality of health care. Understanding the sensitivity of sexual health care and the variety of needs associated with it, telemedicine provides a unique facility for the awareness, care, and treatment of sexual health. The more people who take their sexual health seriously, the easier it will be to tackle the transmission of STDs and the stigma associated with sexuality. MDLink offers full-service care for sexual health, ensuring you feel safe and taken care of.
Dr Ché Bowen, a digital health entrepreneur and family physician, is the CEO & founder of MDLink, a digital health company that provides telemedicine options. Check out the company's website at www.theMDLink.com. You can also contact him at drchebowen@themdlink.com.
2 years 4 months ago
Global warming and health
TODAY we conclude our two-part series on the impact of global warming on health, highlighting the compounding issues of inequality and vulnerability and the need to have viable public health interventions and mitigation strategies to protect vulnerable individuals and communities.
Inequality and vulnerability
TODAY we conclude our two-part series on the impact of global warming on health, highlighting the compounding issues of inequality and vulnerability and the need to have viable public health interventions and mitigation strategies to protect vulnerable individuals and communities.
Inequality and vulnerability
Climate change exacerbates inequalities, such as those driven by systemic economic injustice and disproportionately affect poor and marginalised communities. Persons living in less developed countries bear the greatest burden of most vector-borne diseases, a circumstance that reinforces health inequities and impedes socio-economic development. Poverty, poor environmental conditions, inadequate housing and living conditions, and limited access to affordable quality health services exacerbate the effect. Children and the poor are particularly susceptible, owing in part to the effects of malnutrition; women and the elderly are also at increased risk. Vector-borne diseases during pregnancy are associated with particularly poor health outcomes among mothers and newborns from low-income or otherwise disadvantaged groups, as evidenced by the devastating effects of congenital infection with Zika virus during the explosive epidemic of Zika virus infection (which was spread by aedes mosquitoes) in Brazil in 2015.
Public health interventions
Improvements in the public awareness, detection, prevention, and treatment of vector borne diseases have been driven by investments in surveillance and control and form the basis of adaptation strategies for a changing climate. Appropriate specific measures vary according to disease, pathogen life cycle, and the level of risk and may include a combination of climate-informed, early-warning systems, enhanced and new land-use management strategies, improved access to prevention measures (eg, biologic mosquito control, personal protective measures, insecticides, and vaccines), and new and improved therapies. For public health interventions to have a successful outcome, there must be timely and adequate stakeholder engagement, community and household acceptance and equally important, appropriate, and sustainable long-term funding mechanisms. A 2017 survey of 1,083 US vector-control programmes showed that 84 per cent of the programmes were rated as "needs improvement" in one or more core competencies (eg, insecticide-resistance testing). The same year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established five regional centres of excellence to help respond to emerging vector borne diseases and to help create a new generation of vector experts.
Malaria highlights several challenges that can occur in the implementation of adaptation strategies. After two decades of concerted international and national investment and consistent declines in malaria cases and malaria-related deaths, worldwide funding has stagnated; malaria is now resurgent in several countries, owing in part to increasing drug and insecticide resistance. This has been worsened to some degree by service and supply chain disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Innovations and leadership are needed to keep up with biologic and socio-economic challenges and to ensure equitable access to high-quality treatment in low- and middle-income countries.
The prevention of dengue and West Nile virus infection relies mainly on community-level mosquito-control programmes; the implementation of such programmes varies according to several factors, including funding and operational management. Avoidance of the vector habitat during the transmission season as a result of public communication has long been an important prevention strategy for Lyme disease. Various personal protective measures (eg, insect repellent and protective clothing) and tick-control strategies (eg, the culling of deer) have been proposed as approaches to reduce the risk of Lyme disease, but evidence of effectiveness is generally lacking.
Vaccines have been successful in the prevention of three vector-borne diseases: yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and tick-borne encephalitis. Unfortunately, vaccines approved for malaria and dengue in the past several years have had only limited success. Scientists continue to work on developing new and more effective vaccines that target vector borne diseases with some promise. A recent phase 2 trial in Mali (West Africa) showed the effectiveness of a single infusion of a monoclonal antibody against Plasmodium falciparum infection over a six-month follow-up period during malaria season. Also promising is a new dengue vaccine which has shown promise in a phase three trial and regulatory approval by European authorities is being sought.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, successful vaccine development and uptake have the potential to substantially offset the effect of climate change on vector borne diseases. There remains some challenge though with combating vaccine hesitancy which has become more pronounced since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Better surveillance data and early-warning systems are critical to enhance public awareness, facilitate the targeting of resources (human and financial) for improved responses, and identify knowledge gaps and research needs. Adaptation plans must be time-sensitive, culturally sensitive and context-specific while also considering factors such as shifting disease patterns, extreme weather events, and current and future climate variations and trends. This approach will require collaboration among various sectors, such as national and local health authorities, civic society groups, affected communities, urban planners, and climate experts.
Implications for clinical practice
With increased international travel, there is limited geographic confinement of any transmissible vector-borne illness. Increasing prevalence in any geographic locations puts the entire global community at risk. It is only a question of time before any vector-borne illness in one location is seen in other locations, as long as global warming creates the requisite environment. Improved education of health-care professionals and community workers is needed with respect to specific vector borne diseases, particularly in regions in which diseases are newly emerging or anticipated to emerge. In many locations, clinicians are likely to see more cases of vector borne diseases during longer transmission seasons, especially in regions with historically low levels of transmission. Awareness of local changes in disease rates and travel histories will be helpful in the evaluation process. The non-specific clinical manifestations of many vector borne diseases often make diagnosis difficult. Strategies for the prevention and treatment of vector-borne diseases should be reviewed regularly and systematically. To help address the additional burden of health care delivery created by a changing climate, health professionals can advocate for more climate-resilient health systems and for programs that focus on the current worldwide shortages of health professionals, including infectious-disease experts.
Mitigation of climate change
Reducing the risks of vector borne diseases and other health consequences of climate change requires not only adaptation but also a rapid and equitable transition from fossil fuels to more environmentally friendly alternative energy sources. The global carbon footprint currently is largely driven by emissions in the West. It is important that decarbonisation of climate is not done in a way that is detrimental to developing countries or impedes industrialisation and economic development in countries that are already severely underdeveloped. The current push to stagnate development in poorer countries is misguided.
The signing of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 represents a necessary (although insufficient) move toward decarbonising the US economy in line with the goals set under the Paris Agreement in 2015. The health-care sector, which contributes an estimated 4.9 per cent of the total carbon footprint worldwide, must be part of the process. As trusted voices, health professionals can weigh in regarding the importance and urgency of mitigation.
Conclusions
Climate change has substantial effects on pathogens, vectors, and reservoir hosts, with implications for the health sector worldwide. Many vectors are already expanding their latitude and altitude ranges, and the length of season during which they are active is increasing; these trends are expected to continue as the climate continues to warm. Changes at the local level will be context- and disease-specific. Clinicians must be well informed and constantly alert to changes in risk for the population they serve.
To protect health and equity in a warmer world, investments are needed in vector control with respect to tailoring measures to rapidly emerging situations and in new forms of technology and approaches, including vaccines. Unfortunately, adaptation strategies will not be viable as a long-term solution without the implementation of sufficient, urgent mitigation efforts to maintain global temperatures below critical thresholds.
Dr Ernest Madu, MD, FACC and Dr Paul Edwards, MD, FACC are consultant cardiologists for the Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC) and HIC Heart Hospital. HIC is the regional centre of excellence for cardiovascular care in the English-speaking Caribbean and has pioneered a transformation in the way cardiovascular care is delivered in the region. HIC Heart Hospital is registered by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and is the only heart hospital in Jamaica. Send correspondence to info@caribbeanheart.com or call 876-906-2107
2 years 4 months ago
Sagicor Life's Paramedic Unit now offering Pap smear services
SAGICOR Life Jamaica (SLJ), through its paramedic unit located at the SLJ Head Office, 24-48 Barbados Avenue, is now offering Pap smear services to insurance clients and prospective clients for insurance products.
During the official ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Tuesday, January 31, the company highlighted that the new service was created to help alleviate an overwhelming demand for the screening.
A Pap smear is a screening test that checks for abnormal cell changes of the cervix that may lead to cervical cancer.
Mark Chisholm, chief revenue officer and executive vice-president of Sagicor Life Jamaica, highlighted that the move was a welcome one in the fight against cancer.
"As industry leaders it is important that we continue to play our part in ensuring the total wellness of all Jamaicans. With this new Pap smear service our paramedic unit team is now able to provide a well-needed diagnostic service in cancer screening," he expressed. Chisholm also commended the Jamaica Cancer Society for the work it has done over the years.
A lunch and learn session was also held on opening day for clients and team members to be educated on Pap smear myths and facts. Dr Nicole Urquhart, resident doctor, Paramedic Unit, SLJ, stressed the importance of women over 18 years of age who are sexually active making a Pap smear test priority every two years.
"Women should know that despite popular belief, Pap smear screening is not a painful procedure and remains a vital tool in detecting early cervical changes. SLJ continues to meet the needs of our clients, and with the addition of our Pap smear service they can now enjoy a one-stop facility that gives them ease and convenience," shared Dr Urquhart.
In 2022 SLJ partnered with the Jamaica Cancer Society to offer free Pap smear screenings in recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
2 years 4 months ago
What is frontotemporal dementia, the diagnosis Bruce Willis has received?
The family of Bruce Willis, who is 67, announced this week that the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The news comes nearly a year after the announcement that Willis would be stepping away from acting due to a diagnosis of aphasia, a language disorder that impacts the ability to speak, read and write.
A study by researchers with New York City's Columbia University found that one in every 10 adults over 65 has some form of dementia.
BRUCE WILLIS' DEMENTIA BATTLE: ICONIC STAR'S JOURNEY FROM ACTION HERO TO FAMILY MAN
While most people are familiar with Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common type, FTD is likely not as well-known.
FTD, as defined by Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, is "a group of disorders that occur when nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain are lost. This causes the lobes to shrink. FTD can affect behavior, personality, language and movement."
FTD typically affects men and women between 40 and 65 years of age.
While symptoms of FTD can vary depending on what part of the brain is affected, most people with the condition experience some common symptoms, as listed on the Johns Hopkins Medicine website.
Behavior or personality changes are often the most obvious indicators. These may include public outbursts or socially inappropriate actions.
People with FTD also tend to have impaired judgment, a lack of empathy and lower self-awareness, Johns Hopkins states.
Others may notice sufferers losing interest in activities they used to enjoy or withdrawing emotionally from friends and family members.
This type of dementia is also marked by a reduced ability to understand or formulate language.
People may struggle to remember the names of objects, string words into sentences or even recall the meanings of words they used to know.
They may have trouble planning and organizing — and find that they are easily distracted.
FIRST DRUG PROVEN TO SLOW ALZHEIMER'S WON'T BE AVAILABLE TO MOST PATIENTS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
Eventually, the person with FTD may end up speaking less frequently out of frustration. The condition can also lead to agitation, irritability and drastic mood swings.
Dr. Tiffany Chow, vice president of clinical development and neurology at Alector, Inc. in San Francisco, California, has spent most of her career working with patients and families living with dementia and investigating clinical trials for these illnesses.
"Most people aren’t expecting dementia to start in their 50s," she told Fox News Digital in an email.
"The earliest signs of FTD can be so subtle that they're often misinterpreted as a ‘midlife crisis,’ which then delays appropriate medical attention."
Dr Chow said that many family members have told her they remember their loved one acting in a way that was uncharacteristic.
In one example, someone who had handled tax returns capably for the last 25 years was suddenly unable to organize receipts and other paperwork.
NEW STUDY INDICATES DEMENTIA SIGNS CAN BE DETECTED NEARLY A DECADE BEFORE DIAGNOSIS
There was also a seasoned camper who found herself unable to set up her tent without help.
"The tricky part is that the change doesn't occur overnight, from normal to consistently disabled," said Dr. Chow.
"Isolated events are noticed maybe every few months, and it's hard to string those together into a major concern until the changes are seen on a daily basis," Dr. Chow also said.
If a clinician isn’t aware of FTD, there’s a risk it will be misdiagnosed as a midlife crisis or a psychiatric condition such as bipolar affective disorder.
"One of the big challenges in our field is to get the word out to primary care physicians about this relatively rare cause of dementia," Dr. Chow said.
The doctor said there are some new checklists and tools available to help patients pinpoint the changes they’re experiencing. Otherwise, there is no single universal screening test for FTD.
CONSUMING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS COULD INCREASE DEMENTIA RISK: STUDY
"This is very different from Alzheimer's disease, where memory testing and cerebrospinal fluid tests can help in diagnosing the disease," said Dr. Chow.
"For FTD, the assessment of changes in frontal lobe functions is more complex, requiring an objective history from someone who can help the clinician understand the person's ‘normal’ level of function and how social skills have changed."
Although there is no universal diagnostic test, there are genetic screenings that can flag someone as more likely to develop FTD.
Dr. Chow said genetic testing is most helpful in diagnosing behavioral FTD and primary progressive aphasia (PPA), which affects patients’ ability to use language.
For those cases, up to 40% of the patients share a common genetic mutation.
The first step is to meet with a genetics counselor who can explain the potential consequences of learning the results.
"Sometimes even the people who should know don't want to know — and we all have to respect that," said Dr. Chow.
Development efforts are ongoing, including clinical trials, but there is no current FDA-approved treatment for FTD, said Chow.
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"For now, to minimize the risk of FTD or any other dementia, people can adopt overall lifestyle improvements such as heart-healthy choices and avoiding head trauma, which also promotes brain health," the doctor said.
The condition typically progresses over time, Johns Hopkins states on its website.
Patients can also seek treatments to alleviate symptoms, such as speech therapy or the use of antidepressants.
Eventually, those with FTD may need full-time care.
Approximately 50,000-60,000 people may have FTD, per data from the Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit group based in Chicago.
In addition to Bruce Willis, other celebrities that have been diagnosed with dementia over the years have included Ronald Reagan, Rita Hayworth, Robin Williams, Casey Kasem and Charlton Heston.
2 years 4 months ago
Health, parkinsons-disease, lifestyle, bruce-willis, illness, geriatric-health, family-and-friends, alzheimers, mental-health
Health Archives - Barbados Today
Teachers’ union pleads with landowners to clear lots near schools of vines
By Anesta Henry
Cow-itch vines growing on empty lots have been creating major headaches for some schools across the island and President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Rudy Lovell wants landowners to have the offending lots cleared and maintained.
He has complained that cow-itch is becoming a “nuisance” as several schools have been affected already for this school term. One teacher who had a serious allergic reaction, was ordered by her doctor not to return to the school to which she was assigned.
Lovell charged that some of the offensive lands may even be owned by the State.
“This is a serious matter. The Barbados Union of Teachers is imploring, begging, beseeching, whatever word you want to use, landowners who have lands adjacent to schools that are harbouring cow-itch to clear the lands. This is becoming a nuisance and several schools have been affected. This term alone, Daryl Jordan Secondary, Grantley Adams Secondary, Gordon Greenidge Primary have been affected.
“Now I am getting complaints from Mount Tabor Primary, I am getting complaints from Blackman and Gollop Primary, from Thelma Berry Nursery, and this is just to name a few,” Lovell said.
He said that the Ministry of Education has been working to address the vexing issue, but admitted that they could only do “so much”.
When contacted, Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, told Barbados TODAY he would be contacting the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Wellness to investigate the environmental concern being reported by the BUT.
“I would talk to the Minister of Education and find out what the concerns are. I know the Environmental Health offices under the Ministry of Health can also activate certain legislation under the Health Services Regulations as it relates to properties. So it would be a collective effort,” Forde said.
Meanwhile, Lovell said the union believes that landowners have a social responsibility to ensure that their lands do not pose any threat to persons in surrounding areas. The president said this is why the BUT is encouraging landowners who know that their properties are overgrown with bush, to clear the lots.
He said it is unfair to students, teachers and ancillary staff who occupy school plants, to have to be exposed to “this nuisance called cow-itch”.
“And even though we may ask the Ministry of Education to intervene at times, the Ministry of Education can only close the schools. And even after the schools are reopened, in some cases, the lands are not really cleared to the extent that the cow-itch has been totally removed. So we are asking the landowners to do what they are supposed to do by maintaining their properties.
“I know in some cases, schools have been reaching out to the landowners. But the thing is that this is an annual problem. We know that around this time of the year cow-itch grows. Why wait until it impacts or affects the occupants of the schools to then come and clear the fields? Why not be proactive as a landowner and seek to remove the cow-itch from the properties? I received calls on a daily basis with regards to cow-itch, it is a total nuisance,” Lovell said.
The BUT president also indicated that he has been getting multiple complaints from teachers that they have been experiencing allergic reactions as a result of the hazard.
Forde said he agreed 100 per cent with Lovell’s plea, and revealed that the Government was currently working on legislation that would address landowners being forced to either clear their lots or be subjected to penalties if they refuse to do so.
“The school of thought is that landowners who are not complying to have those persons be given a period of time to do the remedial work.”
He said if this fails, the Government would do the cleaning and bill the charges to the landowner whether it is through the land tax bill or by some other means.
“The legislation hasn’t been drafted yet but there are definitely plans to deal with this issue. Really and truly this is not how we should be operating as Barbadians, this is not who we are as a people,” Minister Forde said.
The post Teachers’ union pleads with landowners to clear lots near schools of vines appeared first on Barbados Today.
2 years 4 months ago
A Slider, Environment, Health, Local News
California requiere que hospitales recurran a familiares cercanos de pacientes para decisiones médicas, cerrando un vacío de larga data
Hace unos cuatro años, el doctor Gene Dorio formó parte del comité de ética de un hospital del sur de California cuyos administradores insistían en que ellos podían decidir si desconectaban el respirador de un paciente inconsciente, a pesar de que la esposa y los hijos querían seguir manteniendo al hombre con vida.
El año pasado, Dorio le explicó a legisladores estatales que el problema era que el hospital tenía derecho a invalidar los deseos de la familia porque el paciente no había hecho un documento de directiva avanzada, ni había designado a alguien con poder notarial. El hospital optó por escuchar a la familia, pero según la ley del estado, los deseos de la familia no tenían peso.
Eso ya no es así. Desde el 1 de enero, California se sumó a otros 45 estados y al Distrito de Columbia con leyes que permiten a una persona tomar decisiones en nombre de un paciente, incluso si no estaba autorizada por el paciente antes de que ocurriera la situación médica.
La lista incluye cónyuges o parejas de hecho, hermanos, hijos y nietos adultos, padres y un pariente adulto o amigo íntimo; y en muchos casos, a las personas que llevaron al paciente para que lo atendieran en un primer momento.
“Los hospitales y las HMO podían usurpar los derechos de las familias y tomar decisiones médicas críticas en virtud de la ley vigente en aquel momento, incluidas las decisiones de desconectar al paciente”, explicó a KHN Dorio, especialista en geriatría de Santa Clarita y miembro de la organización no partidista California Senior Legislature. “Sabíamos que necesitábamos una ley como la que tienen la mayoría de los otros estados”.
Según datos analizados por investigadores de Penn Medicine, solo un tercio de los adultos estadounidenses tiene o bien instrucciones previas, que detallan lo que quieren sobre su atención médica, o bien un poder médico, que autoriza a otra persona a tomar esas decisiones.
Según sus partidarios, la finalidad detrás de la ley de parentesco es darles facultad a los representantes para que aboguen por los pacientes en lugar de permitir que un hospital tome las decisiones médicas, que pueden estar influenciadas por el costo, las camas disponibles o las presiones de los seguros.
“Esta ley libera de presión a los hospitales, a los que se pide que presten asistencia, salven vidas, se ocupen de Medicare, de los seguros… de muchas cosas a la vez”, afirmó Michele Mann, abogada de Valencia, California, especializada en planificación patrimonial, incluidas las directivas avanzadas.
Los derechos médicos de los pacientes han evolucionado a lo largo de los años, pero es un misterio por qué el estado ha tardado tanto tiempo en aprobar una ley de parentesco. Cuando la California Senior Legislature, que patrocina y promueve leyes destinadas a ayudar a la población de edad avanzada, pidió ayuda a la Oficina del Asesor Legislativo del Estado con el proyecto de ley algunos abogados se sorprendieron de ya no hubiera una ley vigente, dijo Dorio.
Los pacientes que no disponen de un documento de directivas avanzadas o de un poder notarial pueden designar a un sustituto, aunque solo sea declarándolo verbalmente en el hospital, pero, obviamente, es necesario que el paciente esté consciente.
Si un paciente llega a un hospital o centro médico incapacitado o lo está posteriormente, los proveedores deben hacer un esfuerzo de buena fe para encontrar a una persona autorizada a tomar decisiones médicas, según una ley de California en vigor desde 2005.
Los pasos incluyen revisar las pertenencias del paciente y ponerse en contacto con cualquier persona que el hospital “crea razonablemente que tiene autoridad” para tomar decisiones a través de directivas o de un poder notarial. El hospital debe demostrar que se ha puesto en contacto con el secretario de estado para preguntar si el paciente tenía instrucciones anticipadas.
Con la nueva ley vigente, los proveedores de atención médica deben comprobar si el paciente tiene directivas avanzadas o un poder notarial. Pero una vez que los funcionarios han determinado que no existe ninguno, pueden recurrir a la lista de parientes más próximos, todos los cuales están legalmente autorizados a hablar en nombre del paciente.
“Es innovador”, afirmó Mann, que toma decisiones por su hermana, que tiene esclerosis múltiple y vive en un centro de cuidados de largo plazo. “Con la lista de parientes cercanos, a menudo la persona que trae al paciente es un familiar o un amigo íntimo que conoce claramente los deseos del paciente. En esos casos, se acabó la búsqueda del hospital: hay un representante legalmente autorizado”.
El proyecto de ley AB 2338, presentado por el asambleísta Mike Gipson, agregó una sección al código de sucesiones, y se asemeja a la forma en que la mayoría de los estados maneja la división de los bienes de una persona después de su muerte.
En California, cuando una persona muere sin dejar testamento, sus bienes y propiedades se distribuyen siguiendo un orden de prioridad fijo y descendiente: primero el cónyuge, después los hijos, los padres, los hermanos, etc. Ahora, las decisiones médicas de una persona se decidirán de la misma manera, pero no necesariamente en el mismo orden.
California otorga a los hospitales y a los proveedores médicos la discreción de decidir qué familiar o amigo íntimo puede tomar decisiones médicas, una disposición introducida en el proyecto de ley después de que la influyente Asociación de Hospitales de California y otros grupos médicos se opusieran a una jerarquía pre establecida.
Algunos expertos se preguntan hasta qué punto será eficaz la nueva ley, ya que los hospitales conservan la facultad de elegir al representante del paciente, sobre todo si hay opiniones encontradas entre los miembros de la familia.
“Aunque no tengo motivos para creer que vayan a abusar del poder, los hospitales pueden decidir quién sería una buena persona para tomar decisiones”, dijo Alexander Capron, experto en derecho médico y ética, y profesor emérito de la Universidad del Sur de California.
Lois Richardson, vicepresidenta y asesora jurídica de la asociación de hospitales, dijo que un orden estricto de sustitutos a menudo no refleja lo que un paciente desearía. “La preocupación siempre ha sido que, en muchos casos, una jerarquía estatutaria estricta no refleja las relaciones familiares reales”, agregó.
El cabildeo de los hospitales abandonó su oposición después de que Gipson accediera a dar flexibilidad al sector, y la medida se aprobó en la legislatura prácticamente sin oposición.
Lo ideal sería que las personas dispusieran de un documento de directivas avanzadas para garantizar el cumplimiento de sus deseos, según Gipson. Pero para las personas mayores, las que viven solas y cualquiera que no tenga este documento, la ley abre el abanico de personas que pueden actuar en su nombre, incluido un amigo íntimo que bien podría ser de familia.
“Al menos así, tienes a alguien que sabe lo que quieres tomando esas decisiones”, indicó Gipson, “en lugar de dejarlo en manos de un hospital”.
Esta historia fue producida por KHN, que publica California Healthline, un servicio editorialmente independiente de la California Health Care Foundation.
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.
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2 years 4 months ago
Noticias En Español, States, California Legislature, End Of Life, Hospitals, Legislation
Medical News, Health News Latest, Medical News Today - Medical Dialogues |
MCh Paediatric Surgery: Admissions, medical colleges, fees, eligibility criteria details
MCh Paediatric
Surgery or Master of Chirurgiae in Paediatric Surgery also known as MCh in Paediatric
Surgery is a super specialty level course for doctors in India that they do after completion of their postgraduate medical degree course. The duration
of this super specialty course is 3 years, and it focuses on the study of
MCh Paediatric
Surgery or Master of Chirurgiae in Paediatric Surgery also known as MCh in Paediatric
Surgery is a super specialty level course for doctors in India that they do after completion of their postgraduate medical degree course. The duration
of this super specialty course is 3 years, and it focuses on the study of
various concepts involving the surgical care of fetuses, infants, children,
adolescents, and young adults.
The course is a full-time course pursued at various recognized medical
colleges across the country. Some of the top medical colleges offering this
course include All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, G.B. Pant Institute of PG medical education and research, New
Delhi, and more.
Admission to this course is done through the NEET-SS Entrance exam
conducted by the National Board of Examinations, followed by counseling based
on the scores of the exam that is conducted by DGHS/MCC/State Authorities.
The fee for pursuing MCh (Paediatric Surgery)
varies from college to college and may range from Rs.1,000
to Rs 6,04,000/- in government colleges and from Rs.1,10,000 to Rs.29,00,000 per year for private colleges.
After completion of their respective course, doctors can either join the
job market or can pursue certificate courses and Fellowship programs recognized by
NMC and NBE. Candidates can take reputed jobs at positions as Senior residents,
Consultants, etc. with an approximate salary range of Rs 9 lakhs to Rs. 23
lakhs per annum.
What is MCh in Paediatric Surgery?
Master
of Chirurgiae in Paediatric Surgery, also known as MCh (Paediatric Surgery) or MCh in (Paediatric Surgery) is a three-year super specialty
programme that candidates can pursue after completing a postgraduate degree.
Pediatric Surgery is the branch of medical
science dealing with the study of those who specialize in treating children. They're
trained to do surgery of infants, children, and young adults.
National
Medical Commission (NMC), the apex medical regulator, has released a Guidelines
for Competency-Based Postgraduate Training Programme for MCh in Paediatric
Surgery.
The Competency-Based
Postgraduate Training Programme governs the education and training of MChs in Paediatric
Surgery.
The postgraduate students must gain ample knowledge and
experience in the diagnosis, and treatment of patients with acute, serious, and
life-threatening medical and surgical diseases.
PG education intends to create specialists who can
contribute to high-quality health care and advances in science through research
and training.
The required training done by a postgraduate specialist in
the field of Paediatric
Surgery would help the specialist to recognize the health needs of
the community. The student should be competent to handle medical problems
effectively and should be aware of the recent advances in their specialty.
The candidate is also expected to know the principles of
research methodology and modes of the consulting library. The candidate should regularly
attend conferences, workshops, and CMEs to upgrade her/ his knowledge.
Course Highlights
Here are some of the course highlights of MCh in Paediatric Surgery
Name of Course
MCh in Paediatric Surgery
Level
Doctorate
Duration of Course
Three years
Course Mode
Full Time
Minimum Academic
Requirement
Candidates must have a postgraduate medical Degree in MS/DNB General Surgery from any college/university recognized by the Medical Council of India (Now NMC)/NBE, this feeder qualification mentioned here is as of 2022. For any further changes to the prerequisite requirement please refer to the DNB website.
Admission Process /
Entrance Process / Entrance Modalities
Entrance Exam (NEET-SS)
INI CET for various
AIIMS, PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bengaluru
Counseling by DGHS/MCC/State
Authorities
Course Fees
In government
colleges from Rs.1,000 to
Rs 6,04,000 per year
In Private
colleges from Rs.1,10,000
to Rs.29,00,000 per year
Average Salary
Rs 9 lakhs to Rs. 23
lakhs per annum
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for MCh in Paediatric Surgery are defined as the set of rules or
minimum prerequisites that aspirants must meet to be eligible for
admission, which includes:
Name of Super Specialty course
Course Type
Prior Eligibility Requirement
Pediatric Surgery
MCh
MS/DNB (General Surgery)
Note:
·
The feeder qualification
for MCh Pediatric Surgery is defined by the NBE and is subject to changes by
the NBE.
·
The feeder qualification
mentioned here is as of 2022.
·
For any changes, please
refer to the NBE website.
- The prior entry qualifications
shall be strictly by Post Graduate Medical Education
Regulations, 2000, and its amendments notified by the NMC and any
clarification issued from NMC in this regard. - The candidate must have
obtained permanent registration with any State Medical Council to be
eligible for admission. - The medical college's
recognition cut-off dates for the Postgraduate Degree courses shall be as
prescribed by the medical council of India (now NMC).
Admission Process
The admission process contains a few steps to
be followed in order by the candidates for admission to MCh in Paediatric
Surgery. Candidates can view the complete
admission process for MCh in Paediatric Surgery mentioned below:
- The NEET-SS or
National Eligibility Entrance Test for Super specialty courses is a national-level
master's level examination conducted by the NBE for admission to DM/MCh/DrNB Courses. - Qualifying Criteria-Candidates placed at the
50th percentile or above shall be declared as qualified in the NEET-SS in their
respective specialty. - The following Medical institutions are not
covered under centralized admissions for DM/MCh courses through NEET-SS:
1.
AIIMS, New Delhi, and other AIIMS
2.
PGIMER, Chandigarh
3.
JIPMER, Puducherry
4.
NIMHANS, Bengaluru
- Candidates from all eligible feeder specialty
subjects shall be required to appear in the question paper of the respective group if they are willing to opt for a super specialty course in any of the super
specialty courses covered in that group. - A candidate can opt for appearing in the
question papers of as many groups for which his/her Postgraduate specialty
qualification is an eligible feeder qualification. - By appearing in the question paper of a group
and on qualifying for the examination, a candidate shall be eligible to exercise
his/her choices in the counseling only for those super specialty subjects
covered in the said group for which his/ her broad specialty is an eligible feeder
qualification.
Fees Structure
The fee structure for MCh in Paediatric Surgery varies from college to college. The fee is generally
less for Government Institutes and more for private institutes. The average fee structure for MCh in Paediatric Surgery is around may range from Rs.1,000 to Rs 6,04,000 in government colleges and from for private
colleges Rs.1,10,000 to Rs.29,00,000 per year.
Colleges offering MCh in Paediatric Surgery
Various medical colleges across India offer courses for
pursuing MCh in (Paediatric
Surgery).
As per National Medical Commission (NMC) website, the following medical
colleges are offering MCh in (Paediatric Surgery) courses
for the academic year 2022-23.
Sl.No.
Course Name
State
Name and Address of
Medical College / Medical Institution
Annual Intake (Seats)
1
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Andhra Pradesh
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool
2
2
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Andhra Pradesh
Narayana Medical College, Nellore
2
3
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam
1
4
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Andhra Pradesh
Guntur Medical College, Guntur
2
5
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Assam
Assam Medial College, Dibrugarh
2
6
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Assam
Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati
2
7
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Bihar
Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical
Sciences, Sheikhpura, Patna
2
8
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Chandigarh
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education &
Research, Chandigarh
8
9
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Chattisgarh
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur
2
10
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Chattisgarh
Pt. J N M Medical College, Raipur
3
11
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Delhi
G.B. Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical
Education and Research, New Delhi
4
12
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Delhi
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical
Sciences and Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi
5
13
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Delhi
Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
4
14
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Delhi
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New
Delhi
9
15
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Delhi
Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya
2
16
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Delhi
Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung
Hospital, Delhi
4
17
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Delhi
Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi
4
18
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Gujarat
B J Medical College, Ahmedabad
3
19
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Gujarat
Smt. N.H.L.Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad
2
20
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Haryana
Pt. B D Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical
Sciences, Rohtak (Haryana)
2
21
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Jammu & Kashmir
Sher-I-Kashmir Instt. Of Medical Sciences,
Srinagar
2
22
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Jharkhand
Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi
3
23
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Karnataka
Rajarajeswari Medical College & Hospital,
Bangalore
1
24
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Karnataka
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
1
25
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Karnataka
St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore
2
26
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Karnataka
Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute,
Bangalore
3
27
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Karnataka
JJM Medical College, Davangere
1
28
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Karnataka
Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health,
Bangalore
8
29
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Karnataka
M S Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore
3
30
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Karnataka
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum
1
31
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Kerala
Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Calicut
4
32
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Kerala
Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram
6
33
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Kerala
Government Medical College, Kottayam
1
34
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Kerala
Amrita School of Medicine, Elamkara, Kochi
3
35
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Madhya Pradesh
Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal
1
36
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Madhya Pradesh
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal
2
37
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Madhya Pradesh
Index Medical College Hospital & Research
Centre, Indore
2
38
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Madhya Pradesh
M G M Medical College, Indore
2
39
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Madhya Pradesh
Sri Aurobindo Medical College and Post Graduate
Institute, Indore
1
40
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
Grant Medical College, Mumbai
1
41
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
N. K. P. Salve Instt. of Medical Sciences and
Research Centre and Lata Mangeshkar Hospital, Nagpur
1
42
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Sion,
Mumbai
4
43
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai
2
44
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
Seth GS Medical College, and KEM Hospital, Mumbai
8
45
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
46
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
Dr. D Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and
Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune
2
47
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
B. J. Govt. Medical College, Pune
2
48
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
Government Medical College, Nagpur
2
49
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Maharashtra
Padmashree Dr. D.Y.Patil Medical College, Navi
Mumbai
1
50
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Orissa
All India Institute of Medical Sciences,
Bhubaneswar
4
51
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Orissa
SCB Medical College, Cuttack
6
52
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Pondicherry
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical
Education & Research, Puducherry
2
53
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Punjab
Christian Medical College, Ludhiana
1
54
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Rajasthan
SMS Medical College, Jaipur
10
55
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Rajasthan
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur
2
56
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Christian Medical College, Vellore
4
57
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Coimbatore Medical College, Coimbatore
4
58
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research
Institute, Chennai
1
59
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Madras Medical College, Chennai
9
60
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Madurai Medical College, Madurai
2
61
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Govt. Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College,
Salem- 30
2
62
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Stanley Medical College, Chennai
2
63
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Tirunelveli Medical College,Tirunelveli
2
64
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
SRM Medical College Hospital & Research
Centre, Chengalpattu
1
65
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
PSG Institute of Medical Sciences, Coimbatore
1
66
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Tamil Nadu
Thanjavur Medical College,Thanjavur
1
67
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Telangana
Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad
1
68
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Telangana
Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad
8
69
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Uttarakhand
All India Institute of Medical Sciences,
Rishikesh
14
70
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Uttar Pradesh
King George Medical University, Lucknow
2
71
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Uttar Pradesh
Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi
4
72
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Uttar Pradesh
Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical
Sciences, Lucknow
2
73
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
Uttar Pradesh
Super Speciality Paediatric Hospital & Post
Graduate Teaching Institute, Noida
1
74
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
West Bengal
Nilratan Sircar Medical College, Kolkata
6
75
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
West Bengal
Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education &
Research, Kolkata
5
76
M.Ch - Paediatric Surgery
West Bengal
Govt. Medical College, Kolkata
2
SyllabusAn MCh in Paediatric Surgery
is a three years specialization course that provides training in the stream of
Surgery.
The course
content for MCh in Paediatric Surgery is
given in the Competency-Based Postgraduate Training Programme released
by National Medical Commission, which can be assessed through the link
mentioned below:
NMC Guidelines For Competency-Based Training Programme For MCh Pediatric Surgery
A. Cognitive domain
The following is a broad outline of the
syllabus:
Basic sciences
as applied to Pediatric Surgery
- Medical genetics and gene therapy.
- Antenatal diagnosis and fetal intervention
- Developmental and transitional physiology of the
respiratory, cardiovascular, and renal systems - Neonatal physiology and assessment of the surgical
neonate. - Neonatal sepsis
- Nutrition – enteral, parenteral
- Vascular access
- Principles of imaging (radiodiagnosis, nuclear)
in Pediatric practice - Pharmacology and use of common drugs,
antibiotics, and policy - Pediatric analgesia and anesthesia, critical
care, mechanical ventilation - General principles of Endoscopy and Minimal
Access Surgery – fetoscopy, genitourinary endoscopy, trachea-bronchoscopy,
laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, robotic surgery - Biomedical ethics and legal issues in Pediatric
surgical practice. - The organization of a Pediatric Surgical unit
- HIV/AIDS in children
- National health policy programs pertinent to
Pediatric practice - Telemedicine and telesurgery - principles,
practice, and limitations
Trauma
- Birth trauma
- Pediatric trauma – general principles.
- Thoracic, abdominal, genitourinary, and central
nervous system trauma - Soft tissue and envenomation injuries
- Musculoskeletal and vascular trauma
- Burns
- Child abuse.
Pediatric
Oncology
- General principles of oncology, radiotherapy, and
chemotherapy - Wilms' tumor
- Neuroblastoma
- Liver tumors
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Germ cell tumors
- Other tumors of childhood (outline)-Leukemias,
Lymphomas, Bone tumors, CNS - tumors.
- Retinoblastoma
Transplantation
- General principles
- Kidney and liver transplantation
- Outline of other solid organ and bone marrow
transplantation.
Head and Neck
Disorders
- Craniofacial anomalies
- Cleft lip and palate
- Disorders of the upper airway and oral cavity.
- Salivary glands
- Disorders of lymph nodes.
- Thyroid and parathyroid gland
- Cysts and sinuses of the neck
- Torticollis
Thoracic
Disorders
- Congenital chest wall deformities.
- Disorders of the breast.
- Diaphragmatic hernia and eventration
- Mediastinal mass lesions.
- Endoscopy of the upper aerodigestive tract.
- Congenital tracheal and Bronchopulmonary/
foregut malformations - Infective pleuro-pulmonary condition.
- Congenital esophageal anomalies
- Esophageal motility disorders , achalasia cardia, gastro-oesophagal reflux
- Oesophageal rupture, injury, stricture,
perforation. - Esophageal replacement.
Abdominal
Disorders
- Umbilical disorders and abdominal wall defects.
- Inguinal hernias and hydroceles
- Testicular maldescent, torsion
- Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.
- Duodenal atresia, annular pancreas.
- Jejunoileal atresia and stenosis
- Meconium ileus
- Meckel's diverticulum
- Intussusception.
- Disorder of midgut rotation.
- Short bowel syndrome
- Gastrointestinal endoscopy and laparoscopy.
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Gastrointestinal duplications.
- Mesenteric and omental cysts
- Ascites
- The polypoid disease of the GIT
- Necrotising enterocolitis.
- Intestinal stomas
- Primary peritonitis.
- Inflammatory bowel disease in children.
- Colonic atresia and functional obstruction.
- Appendicitis
- Hirschsprung disease, neuromuscular disorders of
intestines - Anorectal malformations.
- Congenital short colon /pouch colon
- Colonic and rectal tumors
- Neonatal/Infantile obstructive cholangiopathy
- Congenital biliary dilatation.
- Infective and inflammatory hepatobiliary
disorders - Benign liver tumors
- Portal hypertension
- Disorders of the pancreas
- Splenectomy and post-splenectomy sepsis.
- Adrenal gland.
Genitourinary
and related disorders
- Renal agenesis, dysplasia, cystic disease,
ectopia - Pelvic ureteral junction obstruction
- Vesicoureteric reflux
- Infective and inflammatory renal disorder.
- Pediatric urolithiasis
- Congenital ureteric anomalies.
- Prune belly syndrome
- Urinary diversion and undiversion, bladder
augmentation - Disorders of bladder function.
- Structural bladder disorders
- Exstrophy – epispadias complex
- Hypospadias.
- Anomalies of the external genitalia
- Disorders of Sex Differentiation
- Abnormalities of the female genital tract.
Miscellaneous
Pediatric Surgical Disorders
- Spina bifida
- Hydrocephalus
- Congenital heart disease
- Congenital orthopedic deformities
- Amputation, bone, and joint infections
- Conjoined twins
- Hemangiomas & vascular malformations.
Career Options
After completing an MCh in Paediatric Surgery, candidates will get employment opportunities
in Government as well as in the Private sector.
In the
Government sector, candidates have various options to choose from which include
Registrar, Senior Resident, Demonstrator, Tutor, etc.
While in the Private sector, the options include Resident Doctor,
Consultant, Visiting Consultant (Paediatric Surgeon), Junior
Consultant, Senior Consultant (Paediatric Surgeon), Assistant Professor,
Associate Professor (Paediatric Surgeon).
Courses After MCh in Paediatric Surgery Course
MCh in Paediatric
Surgery is a specialization
course that can be pursued after finishing a Postgraduate medical course.
After pursuing specialization in MCh in Paediatric
Surgery, a candidate could also
pursue certificate courses and Fellowship programs recognized by NMC and NBE,
where MCh in Paediatric
Surgery is a feeder
qualification.
These include:
- Post-Doctoral
Fellowship in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Surgery - Fellowship
Programme In Pediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) –MCh in Paediatric Surgery Course
·
Question: What is the full
form of an MCh?
Answer: The full form of an MCh is Master of
Chirurgiae.
·
Question: What is an MCh in Paediatric
Surgery?
Answer: MCh Paediatric Surgery
or Master of
Chirurgiae in Paediatric Surgery also known as MCh in Paediatric
Surgery is a super specialty level
course for doctors in India that they do after completion of their postgraduate
medical degree course.
·
Question: What is the
duration of an MCh in Paediatric Surgery?
Answer: MCh in Paediatric Surgery is a super
specialty programme of three years.
·
Question: What
is the eligibility of an MCh in Paediatric
Surgery?
Answer: Candidates must have a postgraduate medical Degree in MS/DNB General Surgery from any college/university recognized by the Medical Council of India (Now NMC)/NBE., this feeder qualification mentioned here is as of 2022. For any further changes to the prerequisite requirement please refer to the DNB website.
- Question: What
is the scope of an MCh in Paediatric
Surgery?
Answer:
MCh in Paediatric Surgery offers
candidates various employment opportunities and career prospects.
- Question: What
is the average salary for an MCh in Paediatric Surgery
candidate?
Answer:
The MCh in Paediatric Surgery candidate's average salary is between Rs. 9 lakhs to Rs. 23 lakhs per annum depending on the experience.
•Question: Can you teach after
completing an MCh Course?
Answer: Yes, the candidate
can teach in a medical college/hospital after completing an MCh course.
- What is the most common Pediatric Surgery?
The most common
Pediatric Surgery is Hernia Surgery.
2 years 4 months ago
News,Health news,NMC News,Medical Education,Medical Colleges News,Medical Courses News,Medical Universities News,Medical Admission News,Latest Medical Education News,Medical Courses
Health Minister says hospitalization for cholera “remains well controlled and low”
The Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera, called on Thursday to continue cholera vaccination, improve hygiene conditions, and avoid consuming food from places of sale that appear insufficient to prevent the spread of this bacterium, which has so far affected 71 people in the Dominican Republic.
The official assured that the ministry’s and the community’s joint interventions, vaccination, house-to-house visits, and the epidemiological fence will be maintained.
“Thank God, many of these cases that appear are mild, which is why hospitalization remains well controlled and low,” he said, adding that this does not mean that the disease’s overall situation has been resolved. “We’re not going to say it’s under control; that’s impossible,” the minister declared. Rivera stated that “it depends on people washing their hands before and after going to the bathroom, and before each meal, cooking food well because many of the people we have detected with cholera consumed poorly cooked food or in inadequate outlets in order to achieve control levels”.
“We’re doing well, the population is cooperating with vaccination,” he said. The goal is to have 24 thousand doses applied by the end of this week. The official reiterated that it is “an individual decision” and praised those who “take care of cleanliness and hygiene in their homes.”
2 years 4 months ago
Health, Local
Medical News, Health News Latest, Medical News Today - Medical Dialogues |
Tears sampled by ocular swab can help detect the COVID-19 virus
Brazil: A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine has suggested an alternative method to nasopharyngeal swabbing, which is unpleasant for detecting the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The study found that tears collected by swabbing can detect the coronavirus.
A swab is an absorbent cotton pad on a flexible rod used to clean wounds, apply medication and take specimens.
Brazil: A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine has suggested an alternative method to nasopharyngeal swabbing, which is unpleasant for detecting the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The study found that tears collected by swabbing can detect the coronavirus.
A swab is an absorbent cotton pad on a flexible rod used to clean wounds, apply medication and take specimens.
The researchers analyzed samples from patients diagnosed with the disease by conventional methods. They were admitted to the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies (HRAC), run by the Bauru Dental School (FOB-USP). SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 18.2% of the samples, suggesting this method could be an alternative to nasopharyngeal swabbing, which is unpleasant, and that health workers should take steps to protect themselves against infection via patients’ tears, although the risk is admittedly low.
Moreover, a combination of two factors-more, comorbidities and a higher mortality rate-among patients whose tear samples tested positive, suggests that this virus detection method could be a prognosis predictor.
“Initially, we set out to develop a diagnostic test based on an easier collection of material without causing patient discomfort. Nasal and nasopharyngeal swabbing is not only unpleasant but also often performed incorrectly. For people with a nasal septum deviation, it can be a problem. We believed that tear sampling would be easy to execute and more tolerable. We succeeded in showing this to be feasible. Among the limitations of the study was not knowing whether the amount of liquid collected for the test influences its result,” Luiz Fernando Manzoni Lourençone, professor of medicine at HRAC and last author of the article, told Agência FAPESP.
The findings suggest that the probability of detecting the virus in tears is greater when the patient has a high viral load, which can lead to viremia in body fluids, he added.
FAPESP supported the study via a scientific initiation scholarship awarded to Luís Expedito Sabage, an undergraduate student supervised by Lourençone.
Technique
The study cohort comprised 61 hospitalized patients, with 28 testing negative and 33 positive for COVID-19 by RT-qPCR via nasopharyngeal swab. Tears were analyzed from all 33 positives and from 14 of the 28 negatives. The tears were collected in the first half of 2021 when the main viral variants circulating in São Paulo state were gamma and delta.
In addition to collection by conjunctival swab, the scientists also used a technique known as the Schirmer strip test, in which a strip of filter paper is placed for five minutes inside the lower eyelid (normally used to determine whether the eye produces enough tears). The samples were analyzed between July and November 2021.
SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 18.2% of the samples collected by conjunctival swab and 12.1% of those collected by Schirmer strip. As expected, none of the patients who tested negative for the virus via nasopharyngeal swab had tears that tested positive.
The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was used to predict risk of death within a year of hospitalization for patients with 20 specific conditions. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 particles in tear samples had an almost sevenfold chance of dying compared to patients with a negative result. Those patients also had other factors that could contribute to death, such as a poor ten-year survival rate based on CCI.
Most of the patients had low tear production and eye discomfort regardless of their COVID-19 diagnosis, possibly pointing to the need for artificial tear use during hospitalization, according to the authors.
The study also included demographic, clinical and ocular symptom data. The main diagnostic test used was real-time quantitative PCR (polymerase chain reaction), which can detect a single copy of viral RNA in a sample and is considered the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19 by clinical analysis laboratories worldwide.
Innovating in comparison with previous research, in this study, viral RNA positivity was determined much more precisely by analyzing the nucleocapsid (N), envelope (E) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp).
An article published in July 2021 in Experimental Biology and Medicine by a group of researchers at the State University of Campinas’s School of Medical Sciences (FCM-UNICAMP), also in São Paulo state, reported the results of a study conducted at its teaching hospital where SARS-CoV-2 was detected in tear samples from 8.43% of the 83 patients enrolled in the study.
“When we started, in early 2021, we lacked the technology to cross-reference certain types of data as a route out of basic science and into clinical practice. Since then, Sabage has worked as a research intern at Stanford University’s Byers Eye Institute [in the United States], a leading centre for advanced studies of ocular fluids. Their technology enabled us to detect several correlations and confirm the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in our tear samples. Partnering with another team brought results for our campus and opened up a new research line,” Lourençone said.
Reference:
Sabage, L.E.; Sun, Y.J.; Wolf, J.; Sabage, J.; Mazzo, A.; Santos, C.F.; Mahajan, V.B.; Manzoni Lourençone, L.F. Conjunctival Swabs Reveal Higher Detection Rate Compared to Schirmer Strips for SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detection in Tears of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients. J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11, 6929. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11236929
2 years 4 months ago
ENT,Medicine,ENT News,Medicine News,Top Medical News
PAHO provides guidance to countries as chikungunya cases increase | Loop Caribbean News - Loop News Caribbean
- PAHO provides guidance to countries as chikungunya cases increase | Loop Caribbean News Loop News Caribbean
- PAHO provides guidance to countries in response to increased chikungunya cases Jamaica Gleaner
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2 years 4 months ago