Paternity Schock for MINIster Abbott

From THE AGE
Paternity shock for Abbott
By Jason Koutsoukis and Misha Schubert
Canberra
March 22, 2005

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott has discovered that a 27-year-old man he believed to be his love child was fathered by another man.

Just weeks after Mr Abbott's extraordinary public declaration that Daniel O'Connor, an ABC television sound engineeer, was his son, DNA tests have established they are not related.

The real father is a man who came forward after the story of the minister being reunited with his lost son broke in the media.

Last night Mr Abbott confirmed that DNA tests had established he was not the father. "It's a shock to me. I've gone through 27 years of life convinced that I was Daniel's dad, and it appears that's not the case," he told Channel Seven.

"Of course, I'm disappointed. You don't live through these things for 27 years, you don't go through the excitement and the wonder of a reunion and then lose that and not be disappointed."

Daniel O'Connor's mother, Kathy Donnelly, had always believed that Mr Abbott, with whom she had a relationship when he was a teenage law student in Sydney, was the biological father.

Five days after Mr O'Connor was born, in July 1977, Mrs Donnelly and Mr Abbott decided to give him up for adoption.

Mr O'Connor's real paternity was confirmed last week through DNA testing involving Mr Abbott, and his biological father, whose identity has not been revealed.

The father contacted Mrs Donnelly last month to say he thought he might be Mr O'Connor's father. It is believed he thought Mr O'Connor bore a strong resemblance to his own children.

It is believed that Mr Abbott suggested DNA testing to resolve the identity problem.

"I had an inkling that this might be the case about a fortnight ago," Mr Abbott said last night. "I had some confirmation that it was probably the case last week. I wasn't going to say anything about it. I really think this is a matter for Daniel, above all else. But the story's out. It's a shock to me.

"I'm sorry that poor old Daniel has been dragged through the public spotlight as a result of a connection to me, which it now appears was never the case."

The story of Mr Abbott's reunification with his son was additionally amazing for the fact that Mr O'Connor had worked alongside the minister as a sound engineer in the federal parliamentary press gallery for the previous three years.

Mr Abbott yesterday described the past few months as "a bit wild, frankly".

"To find the boy that I thought I had all those years ago. To go through a reunion and now to lose him like this is pretty shocking and I feel a bit numb about it all.

"Truth is stranger than fiction. This story has certainly developed some pretty surreal twists. For Daniel and for Kathy I hope a continuing great story, but not one that will obviously involve me."

After deciding he wanted to get in contact with his biological mother, Mr O'Connor contacted Mrs Donnelly by telephone on Christmas Eve last year.

It was then that Mrs Donnelly told Mr O'Connor his real father was Tony Abbott.

On December 26, Mr O'Connor received a phone call from Mr Abbott. His first words to the minister were: "Thanks for having me."

In January Mr O'Connor attended a barbecue at Mr Abbott's Sydney home with Mr Abbott's extended family and Mrs Donnelly's family.

Mr O'Connor later introduced his adopted parents to Mr Abbott and Mrs Donnelly.

Mr O'Connor's adoptive father, John O'Connor, said he "felt very much an onlooker despite the sort of critical role and position that we the three of us have played in his life" when he learned who Daniel's real father was.

Mr Abbott said he had spoken to Mr O'Connor since learning that he was not his real father.

"I did speak to Daniel once last week when we got the news that in all probability he wasn't my boy," Mr Abbott said.

"It was something that, once Kathy had talked to me about it, we both decided that it was probably in Daniel's best interest if he knew who his dad was. The fact is he's a good kid. Kathy, his mum, is a great girl. I hope they have a great life, and I guess I'm just sad for him that he's been dragged through the media mill because of the connection to me, which it now seems didn't exist."

Prime Minister John Howard said last night the latest developments had not changed his view of Mr Abbott. " Although it's become a very public issue, because it involves a high-profile politician, it is still an intensely private matter," Mr Howard told Sky News. "Nothing that has happened alters my intense personal regard for Tony Abbott."

Mr Abbott, a conservative Catholic who has spoken out against abortion, has endured years of Labor taunts about being the father of a love child.

Mrs Donnelly and Mr Abbott have remained in regular contact over the past 27 years, believing they shared a son. Mr Abbott later married another woman to whom he has three daughters, while Mrs Donnelly, a West Australian artist, also married and had four children.

THE STORY SO FAR

1965
  Tony Abbott and Kathy Donnelly are primary school pupils at Holy Family Convent, Lindfield, Sydney.

1975
  Abbott dates Donnelly in year 12 at St Ignatius College.

1976
  Abbott begins law/economics degree at University of Sydney.

July 26, 1977
  Donnelly gives birth to a boy. Five days later, she gives him up for adoption. Abbott sees the child briefly at birth. Donnelly and Abbott had separated two months earlier.

1980
  Abbott wins Rhodes Scholarship, leaves for Oxford.

1984
  Abbott returns, enters St Patrick's Seminary, Manly, to study for priesthood. He quits in 1987.

September 24, 1988
  Marries Margaret Aitken. They have three daughters.

1994
  Enters Federal Parliament.

2002
  Daniel O'Connor starts work as a sound engineer at ABC TV in Canberra press gallery.

December 24, 2004
  O'Connor contacts his birth mother, who subsequently tells Abbott.

December 26, 2004
  Abbott phones O'Connor.

February 20, 2005
  Abbott and O'Connor's story becomes public.

March 21, 2005
  Abbott confirms that DNA tests show O'Connor was fathered by another man.

Other related articles ::

• Shock, more shock and countershock
  
• Calls grow for paternity testing
  
• Michelle Grattan: Abbott's roller-coaster ride
  
• Aussie MOH meets son he gave up for adoption

Of CPR and Doctors Who Refused Clinical Work

March 22, 2005 19:23 PM
Chua Says Doctors Who Refused Clinical Work May Not Be Promoted

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Tuesday that the refusal of government doctors performing administrative functions to do clinical work as required could jeopardise their prospects for promotion.

He said the requirement was made in a directive issued by the ministry six months ago but he was disappointed to note some doctors including hospital directors were still reluctant to perform clinical duties.

Dr Chua said this in response to an incident in Alor Star where 50 doctors attending a conference were unable to apply cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR, a procedure to artificially maintain the flow of air to a patient's lungs by compressing the heart externally) when one of them collapsed.

The ministry directive requires doctors performing administrative functions to carry out 10 hours of clinical work per week.

Its objective is to help ease the shortage of doctors in government hospitals and to support the case for appointing doctors as directors of hospitals.

Dr Chua said doctors who refused to do clinical work could be considered as no longer interested in being doctors.

"To me, this is a question of pride, of the image of the doctors and the people's faith in doctors.

"If a doctor had struggled through training for six or seven years but seemingly loses interest in clinical work after confirmation, and is more keen on administration, then it would have been better that he had studied to be an administrator," he told reporters in the lobby of Parliament House.

Dr Chua said that on a visit to Sabah he found only one out of four directors of large and modern hospitals abiding by the directive to do clinical duties.

"The other three were not doing clinical work even though their administrative duties were not heavy. I believe they had graduated from university not more than 10 years ago but already they were not interested in being doctors," he said.

He said the ministry had launched a "continuous medical education" programme headed by Health Deputy Director-General Datuk Dr Ismail Merican to ensure all doctors did not abandon their clinical work.

On another matter, Dr Chua said the ministry for the first time would carry out a survey to collect data on ear and hearing problems among Malaysians.

He said the survey from March 28 until the end of the year would cover about 10,000 people from 2,100 families picked randomly.

"We do not have data on these problems now, so it is important to determine the actual source of hearing problems," he said.

He urged the public to operate with the ministry's researchers, adding that those identified in the survey to have hearing problems would be given free treatment.

-- BERNAMA

i find the definition by BERNAMA of CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation somewhat confusing :: "a procedure to artificially maintain the flow of air to a patient's lungs by compressing the heart externally". This may be a better definition ::

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a combination of rescue breathing and chest compressions delivered to victims thought to be in cardiac arrest. When cardiac arrest occurs, the heart stops pumping blood. CPR can support a small amount of blood flow to the heart and brain to “buy time” until normal heart function is restored.

OR

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) consists of mouth-to-mouth respiration and chest compression. CPR allows oxygenated blood to circulate to vital organs such as the brain and heart. CPR can keep a person alive until more advanced procedures (such as defibrillation - an electric shock to the chest) can treat the cardiac arrest. CPR started by a bystander doubles the likelihood of survival for victims of cardiac arrest.

History Of CPR::
Modern CPR developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The discoverers of mouth-to-mouth ventilation were Drs. James Elam and Peter Safar. Though mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was described in the Bible (mostly performed by midwives to resuscitate newborns) it fell out of practice until it was rediscovered in the 1950s.

In early 1960 Drs. Kouwenhoven, Knickerbocker, and Jude discovered the benefit of chest compression to achieve a small amount of artifical circulation. Later in 1960, mouth-to-mouth and chest compression were combined to form CPR similar to the way it is practiced today.

How to do it ::

• Check this simple chart
  
• Print a pocketable chart here
  
• View the CPR video
  The above are from the University of Washington School of Medicine, CPR webpages.
  
• CPR :: Know What To Do, the ABC of CPR
  
• IAC-CPR - Learn about a potentially beneficial adjunct to CPR.
  

These days, resuscitators carrying out CPR may fear the transmission of HIV. But to date there has never been a case of HIV transmitted by mouth-to-mouth CPR.

Is Self-CPR possible? Check out this urban legend here

One-day special CPR course for senior medical officers

From the NST
ALOR STAR, Sun. - A group of doctors, including senior administrators in government hospitals, will spend tomorrow learning to give emergency first aid. The Kedah Health Department ordered this special training session following an incident where doctors at a meeting could not give cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, to a fellow doctor who collapsed.

More than 50 doctors will attend this one-day course to learn the emergency procedure, said sources in the medical fraternity here.

Used to keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain of an unconscious person who has stopped breathing, CPR comprises a technique to massage hearts and mouth- -to-mouth resuscitation.

It is often used on people who may have suffered heart attacks.

This was the first time the department was holding a course specifically for senior medical officials, said a doctor who was required to attend the course.

The department regularly trains paramedic staff, medical assistants and nurses on how to give CPR.

The course the doctors would attend was a basic one, said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It covers theory and practicals and is a basic course.

"It is similar to those given to the public, such as volunteers with the Malaysian Red Crescent and the St John Ambulance."

He said the department realised the need for the course after a man collapsed at a meeting of doctors -turned-administrators here.

"We were told that the group admitted it could not perform CPR on him and called in the paramedics," said the doctor.

The man apparently recovered before the paramedics arrived, and was understandably upset that no one could help him earlier, he said.

The Health Department was doing the right thing, he said.

"It is embarrassing but it is the right move because they are tackling the problem. It should be extended to all medical staff."

The move had not been popular with some doctors asked to attend the course, said a source in an association which works closely with hospitals here.

A number of doctors he spoke to said they felt it beneath them to have to learn CPR again, said the official who also declined to be named.

The course will be held at the Al-Bukhary mosque complex, here.

Health Department officials could not be reached for comment.

Certainly looks like a comical sketch by the Kedah Health Dept and tis senior doctors. Even cartoonist Lat took a swipe at them in his cartoon. Lets hope the CPR course will do soem good for the doctors and the image of the Kedah Health Dept.

Sydney Researchers Testing Herbal Treatment For Dimentia

MELBOURNE, March 20 (Bernama) - Researchers in Sydney have begun a clinical trial to investigate if traditional Chinese herbal medicines can slow the debilitating progress of dementia.

As the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's Disease, vascular dementia can be caused by anything which slows blood flow to the brain including changes in blood pressure, high cholesterol and an irregular heart beat.

"A lot of the Western medications are actually made from plants and derive their origins from herbal medications," says Prof Daniel Chan, director of Aged Care and Rehabilitation at Sydney's Bankstown Hospital.

He is leading a trial of three herbs -- ginkgo, ginseng and saffron -- which have been used to treat dementia in China for thousands of years. This is the first time though such a treatment has been tried outside China.

"These herbs actually improve the circulation in the brain and enhances transmission of certain substances between nerve brain cells," Hongkong-born Prof Chan says.

Bankstown Hospital and the University of Western Sydney have joined forces with the China Academy of Traditional Medicine in Beijing. Eighty patients will take part in the study over four months.

"This is the first herbal trial conducted for the treatment for this particular disease," says trial researcher Dennis Chang, from the University of Western Sydney's Centre of Complimentary Medicine Research.

For many dementia patients, the burden is not just physical -- it is also financial, with some medications costing up to A$200 (about RM580) a month.

Doctors say these herbs are so common that if placed on the market, this treatment is expected to cost no more than A$200 a year.

-- BERNAMA

Ginkgo :: Ginkgo biloba is commonly used in the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, peripheral claudication, and tinnitus of vascular origin. Multiple trials investigating the efficacy of ginkgo for treating cerebrovascular disease and dementia have been performed, and systematic reviews suggest the herb can improve the symptoms of dementia. Ginkgo is generally well tolerated, but it can increase the risk of bleeding if used in combination with warfarin, antiplatelet agents, and certain other herbal medications. Clinical issues of safety, dosing, use in the perioperative period, and pharmacology are addressed in this review.

Ginseng :: The herbal remedies referred to as "ginseng" are derived from the roots of several plants. One of the most commonly used and researched of the ginsengs is Panax ginseng, also called Asian or Korean ginseng. The main active components of Panax ginseng are ginsenosides, which have been shown to have a variety of beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. Results of clinical research studies demonstrate that Panax ginseng may improve psychologic function, immune function, and conditions associated with diabetes. Overall, Panax ginseng appears to be well tolerated, although caution is advised about concomitant use with some pharmaceuticals, such as warfarin, oral hypoglycemic agents, insulin, and phenelzine. Panax ginseng does not appear to enhance physical performance. Products with a standardized ginsenoside concentration are available.

Saffron :: Not to be mistaken for tumeric. Saffron soothes the membranes of the stomach and colon. It helps reduce cholesterol levels by neutralizing uric-acid build up in the system. It has been known to prevent heart disease. In Valencia, Spain, Saffron is eaten daily and little heart disease exists there. Saffron contains vitarnins A and B12. It contains potassium, some calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and lactic acid. This is the first time i have heard of saffron being used fro early treatment of dementia. Other medicinal uses of saffron in the past included its general employment as an antidote against poisoning, a digestant, an aphrodisiac, a tonic, and as a specific for dysentery and measles. In accordance with the Doctrine of Signatures, its yellow color signified its natural ability to treat jaundice

.

Study shows no link between autism and MMR vaccine

March 6, 2005
Study shows no link between autism and MMR vaccine

PARIS - A major Japanese study should dispel lingering fears from a 12-year-old scare that a multiple vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is to blame for a rise in autism, the British weeklyNew Scientist says.
The panic, unleashed in 1998, prompted tens of thousands of British parents to refuse the vaccine for their children.
However, several big studies have failed to confirm any link between the vaccine and autism.
Exactly a year ago, 10 of the 13 British doctors who authored the original research in The Lancet medical weekly retracted their findings.
New Scientist says a study into 31,426 children in the Japanese city of Yokohama 'should put the final nail in the coffin' of the scare.
Japan used the MMR vaccine for a number of years before withdrawing it in April 1993, responding to reports that the anti-mumps components may cause meningitis.
Hideo Honda of the Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre looked at children born between 1988 and 1996, a period that straddles the withdrawal date.
The number of children diagnosed as autistic after the age of seven continued to rise after the vaccine had been withdrawn, he found.
In the years before 1993, incidence of autism ranged from 48 to 86 cases per 10,000 children.
But after 1993, it rose, with cases ranging from 97 to 161 per 10,000.
The study cannot rule out the possibility that MMR may trigger autism in a very small number of children.
However, it confirms that there is no large-scale effect.
Scientists are divided about why autism appears to be rising in developed countries.
Some say there may be an environmental cause; others say that cases of autism are more likely to be detected and reported because the taboo surrounding this condition is receding.
The MMR scare was overwhelmingly centred on Britain.
In some parts of that country, the proportion of children getting the vaccination has slumped to 60 per cent, triggering outbreaks of measles. -- AFP

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Elderly find doctors show too much flesh::NZ

From :: Stuff
14 March 2005

By JOANNA DAVIS

Christchurch's young doctors must remember they are dressing for work and not nightclubs, says a health lobby group fed up with hipsters, bare midriffs and the cleavage on show.


A letter of complaint from Elder Care Canterbury prompted the Christchurch School of Medicine to review its lack of dress code and update its student handbook to include one.

Elderly patients were concerned that junior doctors' standard of dress, particularly that of the women, was sometimes inappropriate and unprofessional.

"They were concerned about seeing far too many tummy buttons and the hipster trousers with the G-string out the back," said former Elder Care Canterbury facilitator Gill Coe..

Coe said dress was particularly at issue for older patients as the doctors already seemed so young.

"Especially the registrars – they all seem about 16 or 18 anyway. If you want to be taken seriously by older people, you would be wise to dress in a professional manner," she said.

Coe said it was important that people aged over 65, who made up more than half of patients in general medical wards, could respect junior doctors.

"If they dress like they're just going out to a nightclub, they won't get the respect they deserve because of the training they've done."

Elder Friendly member Keith Gibb said the young doctors did not need to wear formal clothing.

"It's a question of drawing a line. People don't want to see low decolletage and very short skirts when they have to bend over patients."

He said conservative dress would also be more economical for the students and junior staff.

"While at work they're not indulging in a display of fashion. It saves a certain amount of money if you're not trying to do so."

Christchurch School of Medicine dean Ian Town said students' dress had improved after receiving the guidelines and he was pleased with the standard this year.

"There are more important things facing our students in the scheme of things but we wanted them to dress and behave reasonably," he said.

The updated handbook advised medical students that patients could be uncomfortable with piercings, casual clothes such as shorts and sandals, midriff-exposing tops and long hair on men.

From my experience, with multiple visits to the JPL [Jabatan Pesakit Luar], our doctors' manner of dressing is not as problematic as what is happening in the UK or NZ. Most of the lady doctors are appropriately dressed up [some can be even be said to be dressing down, especially after office hours]. So patients will have no complaints regarding the showing off of too much body parts.
i happened to be in the local hospital today, all those doctors i encountered were appropriately dressed. In effect there was more covered up than uncovered ones. But among the ladies, slacks, pants and jeans appear to be the order of the day. There were not many wearing dresses and skirts like in the days gone by. But then again one is there to received appropriate medical treatment and not witness a fashion show. So for now, it looks like our doctors don't need a guidebook on medical dressing.

Hospital 'Kulat' still being Cleaned

Ministry To Take Back Hospital Only After It's Considered Safe

JOHOR BAHARU, March 7 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry will only take back the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) which was closed last September due to a fungal attack after it is satisfied that it is safe for patients and staff, according to Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.

He said contractors and the Works Ministry were still carrying out fungal cleaning work at several sections and a garden believed to be the source of the problem at the RM500 million hospital.

Asked when the work would be completed, Chua told reporters: "I cannot say for sure. JKR (Public Works Department) initially said it will take about three to six months; it is five months now."

HSI, a 300-bed hospital was forced to be closed about two months after it was opened following fungal attacks believed to be from a defective air-conditioning system.

Earlier, the minister launched a pioneer Tele-Primary Care (TPC) health project at the Kempas Health Clinic which was also attended by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, here.

Last year, the Cabinet decided that remedial works costing RM14 million be carried out at the hospital so that it could be reopened to the public.

On the TPC, Chua said the project, the first of its kind in the region, had two unique features in that patients could be continuously helped by staff at local clinics and specialists at hospitals, through tele-consultation which was built into the system.

Under the pioneer project, 45 health clinics -- 28 in Johor and 17 in Sarawak -- are linked directly to the Health Ministry in Putrajaya through an information technology network.

The Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baharu and Sibu Hospital in Sarawak act as reference hospitals.

The project aims to help patients get initial specialist treatment locally without having to travel too much to specialist hospitals, which is costly and burdensome for them.

-- BERNAMA

So it looks like the Hospital Kulat is still being de-kulat. Samy is obviously falling behind as far as his work is concerned. Wonder if the rakyat will have a hefty bill to foot as the JKR is taking its own sweet time. Mana boleh, JKR boleh! Last year the amount needed was RM14 million, has it excalated now that more time is needed, probably more faults have been detected.
Will definitely have to find out more regarding this Tele-Primary Care programme. May save us those long waits at the Out Patient Clinics. The MOH may have promised us that waiting time will be reduced within 6 months but till now the long wait continues even though the honeymoon may be over.

Child Obesity Threatening Asia, Warns US Expert

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- Children in developing countries, especially in Asia, are falling victim to obesity, a worrying trend as it leads to severe health complications at a tender age, warned an expert.

"The United States (US) is very involved in obesity but now it is definitely spreading to Southeast Asia and in particular we are seeing it in younger people, they are getting diabetes," Dr Norman Samuels, a surgeon with the Florida-based Centre For Severe Obesity, told Bernama here Saturday.

"It is becoming a worldwide problem and it has increased in recent years because of fast food and the advent of television and computer games.

"Children are not going outside to play or have an active life any more. Most of the time they sit in front of computer games or television.

"As a result, from an early age they eat a lot of wrong food and don't burn out the calories. So they get heavier and heavier," he said.

In countries like China and India, two fast growing economies in the world, and even in West Asia, more children were prone to obesity, due to changing lifestyle but this was a very unhealthy trend, said Dr Samuels.

Overweight children are prone to high blood pressure, diabetes and degenerative arthritis, which eventually affect their quality of life.

To combat the rising obesity cases, doctors are now performing gastric bypass, found to be more effective compared with traditional weight reduction methods like taking slimming pills.

"On average, at least 70 per cent of the excessive weight in a person can be removed and there is permanent weight loss if patients follow procedures," Dr Samuels said, adding that in the US, about 100,000 such surgeries were performed in 2004.

Dr Samuels is in Malaysia to introduce obesity surgery to local hospitals and he said that several hospitals were keen to learn about it.

"There is a problem in Malaysia and it is a service to the public because it is not cosmetic surgery but it is done against diseases.

"We will help set up the whole programme, train the surgeons and nurses, and we will bring dieticians, psychologists and trainers," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Rehab Programme For Workers With Back, Cervical Pain

Bernama.com
Malaysian National News Agency

Rehab Programme For Workers With Back, Cervical Pain Launched
General
February 28, 2005 15:45 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- The Social Security Organisation (Socso) Monday launched a rehabilitation programme for workers who lose their ability to work as a result of severe spine and cervical injuries.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn said the programme would be undertaken in collaboration with Finland-based DBC Back to Health (M) Sdn Bhd which had the expertise to treat back and cervical pain.

The company currently operates a treatment centre here and in Ipoh.

Under the programme, Socso would pay for the workers' treatment until they are able to return to work, he told reporters after launching the "Return to Work" programme here.

Dr Fong said the programme was crucial to enable workers to get another chance to work.

From over 9,000 workers, who were permanently disabled in 2003, between 2,000 and 3,000 of them suffered from back and cervical pain, he said.

Socso also planned to expand the rehabilitation programme to cover workers who had lost their fingers and hands, he added.

-- BERNAMA

Now this is great, having Socso taking so much interest in those who have been permanently disabled because of back and cervical spine problems. But 20-30% of those permanently disabled having should problems seem to be a rather high figure. Socso will probably have to take a closer look at them.
Socso should also provide better care and rehab for those who have had loss of bodily parts while on the job. Ensuring that they receive suitable prostheses to unable them to be once again gainfully employed would be helpful.
Having beeen in existence for so many years and having accumulated lots of funds, maybe it is time for Socso to consider having its own treatment facilities with specialists to detail with injuries suffered by tthe workforce.

Aussie Surgeons To Teach In M'sia

MELBOURNE, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- South Australian craniofacial surgeons will help train doctors in Malaysia as part of a new research and teaching programme.

Prof David David from the Adelaide-based Australian Craniofacial Institute will finalise the arrangements with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang.

Under the memorandum of understanding, the institute will provide clinical support, education and training on the treatment of patients with craniofacial disorders to the medical team and students at its university hospital in Kubang Kerian, Kota Baharu.

Both organisations will also undertake collaborative research on Malaysian patients with craniofacial disorders.

The agreement consolidated Adelaide's reputation as a centre of excellence, Prof David told the Australian Associated Press (APP).

"I firmly believe that we should be spreading this knowledge to our neighbours and I am very pleased that this agreement is now being formalised," he said.

"We have been working with the university informally over the past four years and I believe we have all benefited from the sharing of information and knowledge," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Patients With Heat-induced Ailments Soar As Temperatures Rise

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Patients with heat-induced ailments have soared following weeks of hot and dry weather afflicting the country, according to a Health Ministry study in Port Klang.

Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the study found a dramatic increase in patients registering at the public hospital complaining about ailments relating to heat.

He said there were 1,412 cases in December last year but they increased more than three-fold to 4,297 cases in January.

Among the ailments were respiratory tract infections which rose from 419 cases in December to 1,322 in January, asthmatic cases from 32 to 124 and conjunctivitis cases from seven to 32, he told reporters at a briefing today on the health effects of the current hot spell that has triggered a rash of bush and forest fires and enveloped several states in thick haze.

The Department of Environment Saturday announced that the number of areas experiencing unhealth air quality had risen to 11 in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan from eight Friday.

Dr Chua said children below five and adults above 40 years of age, including people suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems and lung infection, were more prone to health problems in the present condition of poor air quality.

"Hot weather can bring health problems especialy to the high risk groups -- farmers, manual workers and athletes," he added.

He said heat rashes due to sweat and heat fatigue were two common symptoms resulting from extensive exposure to heat.

If not treated, a person could suffer from heat "syncope", whose sympthoms were giddiness and fainting, and this would be followed by heat cramp and finally heat stroke which could be fatal, he said.

He advised people to reduce outdoor activities, especially those in the high risk group, and extra-curricular activities for school children should be reduced if the air quality in the particular area was bad.

As precautionary measures, people should also drink more water and not wear tight clothes.

-- BERNAMA

Woman Dies After Donating Kidney To Husband

SINGAPORE, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- A 33-year-old woman died shortly after one of her kidneys was removed and donated to her ailing husband last week, the Straits Times reported.

Her husband, 35, who has been on dialysis with kidney failure for several years, survived the Feb 16 operation and will soon be discharged from the National University Hospital, a report in the newspaper said.

The couple have three children, aged 10, nine and two.

The Straits Times said the death was the first in almost 30 years of kidney transplants from living donors in Singapore.

"I'm deeply saddened by this tragic death," Senior Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan said.

"This is a setback...we'll have to wait and see why the patient died and see what we have to do to ensure this doesn't happen again," he said.

According to the newspaper, a post-mortem was carried out and the case was now with the Coroner's Court.

The report said the hospital was also conducting an internal investigation into the death.

It said Singapore first carried out living-related kidney transplants in 1976 and had done over 400 to date.

Last year, 52 patients received a kidney from a family member, while 32 got them from dead donors, the newspaper said. The operation is considered very safe for both donor and recipient, with one death out of 3,000 kindey donors worldwide.

The average waiting time in Singapore for a kidney transplant from someone who has recently died is seven years.

-- BERNAMA

Aussie MOH meets son he gave up for adoption

Aussie government minister meets son he gave up for adoption

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Australia's health minister and the son he gave up for adoption nearly 30 years ago have met for the first time, and in an amazing twist of fate discovered that they worked alongside each other in the country's Parliament building.

Daniel O'Connor was a newborn when Tony Abbott and his then-girlfriend Kathy Donnelly gave him up for adoption in 1977.

Abbott, a staunch Catholic and Rhodes Scholar who is a vocal opponent of abortion, has in the past admitted he gave up a baby for adoption but until recently did not know his identity.

O'Connor is a sound recordist in the Parliament bureau of the Australian Broadcasting Corp. and has stood next to Abbott during interviews.

O'Connor said Monday that he only learned late last year that Abbott was his father after tracking down Donnelly through an adoption agency.

"I was quite shocked really. I was just surprised more than anything that I worked in the same building as him and had met him on numerous occasions,'' he told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio from Britain, where he was on vacation.

Abbott said he also was shocked to learn he had been working in the same building as his son.

"He and I had frequently been within touching distance of each other,'' he told ABC radio.

"In particular the poor fellow had on occasion had to put an earpiece into my waxy ear. Whoever would have thought that two people hitherto unknown to each other but rather close to each other could have been so connected in this way.''

Abbott, who is married with three daughters, said he hoped to stay in touch with Daniel.

"It's up to Daniel how much contact he wants to have with me and Kathy but I very much hope he would like to have pretty close contact,'' he said.

Abbott said that his wife, Margie, and his daughters have "said to him that he ought to regard himself as part of the family, and I certainly won't be out of touch for the length of time that I was.'' - AP

Just fancy this, working in the same building and not knowing that they are in fact father and son. Well things do seem to have turned up well in the end for them. Tony Abbott's reunion with his son after giving him up for adoption 27 years ago has created headlines around Australia. And even the Aussie PM is commenting on it. This story has thrown a spotlight on the difficult and often traumatic decisions that face those involved in the adoption process. Read more here.

Dr Chua: More Than Half Trainee Nurses Fail Qualifying Exam

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- The number of trainee nurses who pass their qualifying test in nurses training colleges run by the Health Ministry is very low and worrying, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Monday.

Last year, only 44.4 per cent, less than half of the 2,000 trainee nurses passed the test, he said.

The ministry viewed the matter seriously as the country was still lagging behind in meeting the target set by the World Health Organisation by 2020, which requires a nurse for every 200 residents (1:200), he told reporters.

He said there were about 40,000 trained nurses working in government and private hospitals nationwide, with a ratio of one nurse to 645 people.

"To achieve the 1:200 ratio, we need to have about 170,000 nurses. From now until 2020, we've to train 130,000 nurses or about 8,000 a year.

"Now, we are only training 3,000 a year, either by the ministry or by private nursing colleges recognised by the ministry," he said.

He said the situation had been compounded by the high failure rate among trainee nurses.

Chua said a study by the Health Management Institute found most of the failed trainees did not have credits in English and Science at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia level.

He said the high failure rate problem did not exist in the Health Ministry-recognised private colleges where the passing rate was 98 per cent last year.

There are 37 nurses training centres country-wide. Five more are to be built under the Ninth Malaysia Plan in Perak, Johor Baharu, Alor Star, Sabah and Kuching.

-- BERNAMA

National Health Financing Scheme?

PLAIN TALK: Proper management of services needed
Brendan Pereira

Feb 13:
TWENTY. That is the number of years the Government has been mulling over the idea of abandoning the country's highly-subsidised healthcare in favour of a national health financing scheme.

Twelve.

That is the number of studies commissioned by the Government over the years to evaluate health financing schemes.

There is a reason why the authorities agonised for two decades over this issue.

They feared a political fallout, and preferred tip-toeing around an obvious solution to keeping the lid on escalating health costs.

Medical care is one of the most contentious and emotionally-charged issues, anywhere.

Governments have been known to pay a steep price at the ballot box for a misstep on health services.

In Malaysia, the potential for any health issue becoming a political minefield is serious.

As long as anyone can remember, Malaysians have only had to pay RM1 for a buffet of medical services at public hospitals.

It did not matter if you lived in a palatial home in Damansara or in a ramshackle hut in working-class Pantai Dalam.

If you were a citizen of this country, you were entitled to dirt-cheap medical services.

Anyone prepared to tamper with this system was either brave and responsible or had a penchant for dangerous living.

When Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek announced in December that the Government had decided to adopt a national health financing scheme, he expected a ruckus. Or at least some noise.

He said in a recent interview with The Sunday Times: "I want a debate on this issue. It is an important issue that needs to be discussed openly in a mature way.''

What he got was silence. Not a squeak from the opposition or probing questions from members of the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition.

Even the public seemed blase about this change in approach, perhaps lulled into believing that the government would always be in a position to subsidise medical services by more than 95 per cent .

Yet, introducing a health financing scheme is a big deal and needs to be thrashed out fully.

The Abdullah administration believes that Malaysia can no longer put off introducing a health financing scheme, not with the cost of healthcare rising every year.

The budget for the Health Ministry has increased from RM1 billion or 3.6 per cent of the National Budget in 1983 to RM7.6 billion or 7.1 per cent of the Budget in 2003.

"Obviously, the situation is not sustainable in the long-term," said Chua.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi gave the go-ahead for the health financing scheme in November.

Under the scheme currently in the final stages of fine-tuning, civil servants and their dependants, pensioners and their dependants, the disabled and the poor will still benefit from full coverage by the Government.

For this 10 million people, they will still be able to get medical treatment at public hospitals for a nominal fee.

Those not under this umbrella of benevolence will have to pay more for medical services.

This group includes the 11.9 million Malaysians who are working and earning decent salaries.

They will pay for their medical services through direct taxes, employee pension fund contributions, private health insurance and out-of-pocket payments.

How much some Malaysians will have to pay a month for medical services is still being worked out but the New Sunday Times understands that previous studies done suggest that each person will have to pay as little as RM35 a month to get basic healthcare services in public hospitals.

If they want higher end medical care, then they will have to obtain it at private hospitals and pay for it through their own health insurance or in cash.

Nearly two-thirds of Malaysians do not have medical insurance, a Straits Times survey last year showed.

Only 22 per cent of Malays had medical insurance, 57 per cent Chinese and 52 per cent Indians.

The study also showed that on average, many Malaysian visited doctors at least three times a year.

The National Health Financing Scheme calls for the setting up of National Health Financing Authority, a statutory board owned by the Government.

The authority will manage the health financing scheme. In all likelihood, it will contract other agencies to perform functions like premium collection, claims processing and the management of the medical services.

In reality, the success or failure of the scheme rests in the proper management of medical services.

The easy part of the scheme is collecting premiums and enrolling people into the scheme.

The tough part is making sure that the public does not feel they are being given sub-par medical care or a mere digits in a cost-driven system.

That is why it is critical that the National Health Financing Authority outsource critical functions of the scheme to reliable partners.

If the public feels that there has been a discernible drop in service once the National Health Financing Scheme starts, there will be hell to pay.

At that point, no amount of spin will be able to hush the critics.

----NST

Health Ministry Moves To Woo M'sian Specialists Abroad

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry will shorten the three-year compulsory service in government hospitals in a move to attract Malaysian specialists to return to serve in the country.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the relaxation offered to specialists with degrees and qualifications recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council was among steps taken to overcome shortage of specialists in certain disciplines.

Easing of the condition was agreed to by the Cabinet in its weekly meeting Wednesday, he told reporters.

Dr Chua said a special committee comprising health ministry secretary-general, health services director-general and his deputy would be set up to evaluate the specialists' qualifications.

Bone marrow transplant and liver transplant surgeons and oncologists are among the specialists needed, he said.

He, however, said the relaxation would be given on a case-by-case basis.

Dr Chua said his ministry would also cut short the compulsory housemanship period at government hospitals to Malaysian specialists with advanced medical degrees from the United Kingdom from 18 months to six-and-a-half months.

He said Malaysian specialists aged 45 and above who returned to serve in the country would be exempted from the three-year compulsory service with government hospitals.

"To those below 45, relaxation of the compulsory service period will be decided by the committee," he said.

Dr Chua explained the relaxation was only for Malaysian specialists currently serving in foreign countries and not for local medical degree graduates.

Dr Chua also explained the Bahasa Malaysia examination for 300 government doctors who did not have a credit in the national language would be held twice.

"We have a special module for them so that they will be proficient in BM but not at Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia level, so long they can speak and write BM at an accepted level," he added.

-- BERNAMA

This latest effort by the MOH to recruit badly needed medical specialists from overseas again does not appear to be a serious attempt. Why the six and a half months of housemanship and the proficiency in BM? Is their proficiency as medical specialists or theri proficiency in BM more important? As for enforcing the housemanship, these specialists that the gomen hope to recruit have been doctors for many years prior to obtaining their specialisation and it would serve little purpose to put them through housemanship again, no matter how short the stint. The MOH should just do away with that if it is really interested in wooing anyone of those specialists.

Measles Outbreak in Long Urun Not Due To New Strain

KUCHING, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- The measles outbreak which killed 13 Penan children and one adult in Long Urun in the Bakun area last month was not caused by a new strain of the disease, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said Tuesday.

Dr Chan, who is also state Modernisation of Agriculture Minister, said samples analysed by a team from the Sarawak Medical Department and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) confirmed the virus was not a mutated strain.

"With this strain, the ongoing vaccination of about 700 Penans in the affected settlements takes only 72 hours to be effective. They will be protected against the disease," he told reporters after opening Sarawak Agriculture Department's Senior Officers' Conference in Damai about 35km from here.

The Health Ministry in Kuala Lumpur had been expected to send an investigating team to Sarawak if the results revealed a new strain.

Dr Chan said the semi-nomadic Penans in the Bakun area had not been exposed to measles and so did not develop an immune system naturally.

Apart from the 35 Penan patients, whose conditions were improving at the Bintulu Hospital, no new cases had been reported since yesterday, he said.

Due to the difficult terrain and remoteness of their temporary settlements in Long Urun, he said the flying doctor's service using helicopters had been deployed with 12 medical teams, comprising five personnel each, to vaccinate them.

"It is one of the unfortunate things that it is quite difficult to vaccinate them in the jungle but we have to try our best to get as many (Penans) as possible," he said.

It takes about three hours by logging road to reach Long Urun from the Sungai Asap Resettlement Scheme at Bakun and another three hours from there to Bintulu.

The first death was reported on Dec 27 last year and the last on Jan 11.

-- BERNAMA

Mentakab Hospital::Aedes Breeding Ground

Mentakab Hospital Conducts Dengue Checks Every Three Days

KUANTAN, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- The Mentakab Hospital, which was among 142 premises issued compound notices for breeding the Aedes mosquito, has taken the initiative to conduct dengue checks every three days.

Its director, Dr Bahari Che Awang Ngah, told Bernama here Wednesday that apart from conducting regular checks, the surrounding areas and drains would also be cleaned.

He said that since the Aedes mosquito can breed in just three days, it is important to carry out checks every three days to ensure an Aedes-free environment.

"Previously, we conducted checks twice a week but since the number of dengue cases had increased we need to be more alert," he said.

Dr Bahari said the hospital had been issued a compound notice by the Pahang Health Department and the hospital had been taking various initiatives to avoid a similar occurrence.

Tuesday, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said 17,555 premises in Pahang were inspected and the Mentakab Hospital was among the 142 issued compound notices carrying a RM500 fine.

Dr Chua had said that the action to compound even a hospital shows that the ministry would not favour any government department or agency.

Meanwhile, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said dengue in the state was under control and advised the public to remain calm.

However, he urged the public to keep their premises clean to prevent the Aedes mosquito from breeding.

"We assess the areas through the number of cases reported. If one case is reported in a particular area it is normal but if two cases are reported it is serious. But so far the situation is under control," he told reporters after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting, here.

Two deaths have been reported in Pahang so far due to suspected dengue. A 46-year-old man in Temerloh died on Jan 6 and a 16-year-old student from Sekolah Menengah Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, died two days ago.

"Since the Aedes mosquito breeds in clean water, it should be easier to tackle the problem if we can keep the premises clean," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Measles-Hit Bakun Regions Placed Under Quarantine

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- The central and interior regions of Bakun in Sarawak have been declared as areas under quarantine beginning Sunday following a measles outbreak that killed 13 children and an adult recently, the Health Ministry's Communicable Disease Control Director Dr Ramlee Rahmat said Sunday.

He said the quarantine order was issued by the Sarawak Health Department.

"This is in order to prevent spread of the disease and to assess the situation," he told Bernama here.

He said the Sarawak Health Department and the state government would strictly enforce the quarantine order in the areas, and advised the public not to visit the areas until the outbreak had been contained.

"We need to assess the situation in order to determine the spread of the disease and to contain the outbreak by controlling the movement of people in and out of the area," he said.

Dr Ramlee assured the public that the situation was under control and that the Sarawak Health Department had been monitoring the situation closely since the start of the outbreak.

"They (Sarawak Health Department) and the state government have managed it well, taking all precautions and preventive measures," he said.

Asked if the state health department had asked for any assistance from the Health Ministry, Dr Ramlee said "they have not asked" but expressed his confidence that they could handle the situation well.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam has been reported as saying that a total of 66 measles cases had been recorded, including the 14 deaths.

He said those who died were from a longhouse in Sungai Urun in Belaga, located near the Bakun project site or about 150 km inland from Bintulu.

Some of the residents from the Sungai Asap Resettlement Scheme had also been affected and have been placed under strict observation and treatment at Bintulu Hospital.

Dr Chan had said that based on the State Health and Medical Services Department, the Penan community in Sungai Urun had never been exposed to measles.

-- BERNAMA

Local councils to be fined, says Chua

From the NST

For the first time, local councils will be fined for failing to destroy mosquito breeding grounds. The Health Ministry will fine local councils RM500 for each breeding ground found in areas under their jurisdiction, said Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The councils will also be fined for breeding grounds found on their own premises. These fines are imposed under the Destruction of Disease Bearing Insects Act 1975.

All State and district health department enforcement officers can now issue compound notices against errant local councils.

The Health Ministry will also take to task those in charge of its own hospitals and clinics for allowing the Aedes to breed, he said.

The public, however, was not doing enough, he said after opening the second scientific meeting of the Malaysian Society of Hypertension in Kuala Lumpur today.

"They want the authorities to do all the cleaning up.

"When a community based clean-up operation is organised, they just sit at home and watch others do the work.

"These are the same people who keep complaining that the authorities are not doing a good job," he added.

Dr Chua said the Cabinet gave the Health Ministry the green light to take action against errant local councils nationwide at its weekly meeting on Wednesday.

"This clearly shows how serious the Government is in containing the dengue epidemic."

The move was necessary because the dengue outbreak was reaching serious proportions, he added.

"We expect the number of cases to increase within the next one to two weeks, probably very much more than what is being reported now."

Dr Chua had asked the authorities to act following numerous complaints and reports that local councils were not clearing up breeding grounds.

"Local councils should be more responsible."

In Malacca, all State Assemblymen were ordered to take the lead in cleaning up their constituencies.

They have been told to lead gotong-royong sessions at least twice a month as part of the effort to fight the dengue menace, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.

The campaign would also involve local councillors, community leaders, the private sector and the public.

"The fight against dengue can only be won if everyone played their part in ensuring cleanliness," he said.

There was one death, in Alor Gajah, out of 29 cases reported in the State between Jan 1 and Jan 15.

Of these, 22 were in Melaka Tengah, six in Alor Gajah and one in Jasin.

Mohd Ali said gotong-royong sessions were previously carried out once a month.

Finally after being directed by the cabinet, the MOH will be taking action against errant local councils. But is a RM500 fine going to be effective against these errant local councils? The MOH will also take action against those in charge of its hospitals and clinics if Aedes are breeding in places under their charge. Looks like the MINIster is also aware that these 'health grounds' can also be Aedes breeding grounds. The public has also been reminded to play its part in keeping their own surroundings clean and free of Aedes.