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Local news
WEEK COMMENCING 23 MAY 2009
Canberra has announced plans to immunise almost half the population against swine flu
29 May 2009
Canberra has announced plans to immunise almost half the population against swine flu, after the number of confirmed cases of the virus last night reached 147. The federal Government yesterday said it would order enough doses for 10 million people and begin raiding its medicines stockpile to buy time while the vaccine underwent clinical trials.
Australia isolates ship, orders swine flu vaccine
28 May 2009
A cruise ship carrying three crew infected with swine flu agreed not to dock in northern Australia as authorities commissioned 10 million doses of vaccine and confirmed cases topped 100.
3 cruise ship crew catch swine flu off Australia
28 May 2009
A cruise ship with 2,000 passengers aboard has cut short a voyage and will head to an Australian port for medical help after three crew members were diagnosed Thursday with swine flu, a health official said. The ship had been allowed to sail again from Sydney that same day on its current 10-day cruise with 2,000 new passengers on board before the first swine flu case from the previous cruise was confirmed.
Breastfeeding advice: is it too strict?
28 May 2009
New mothers are bombarded with advice on what is and isn't safe, but some experts argue important breastfeeding messages are often obscured by overly cautious advice. "Just chill and relax," is the advice neonatal paediatrician Professor Karen Simmer would like to give to breastfeeding mothers.
Trapped by Swine flu
28 May 2009
A Sommerville family is stranded in a Sydney high-rise apartment after a cruise ship holiday.
Government orders vaccines as swine flu cases 100
28 May 2009
The Federal Government had good news and bad news on swine flu today. The good news; it's ordered 10-million doses of a vaccine being developed to fight the H1N1 virus. The bad news; the vaccine won't be available for three months. There are now more than 100 confirmed cases of human swine flu in Australia, as Alison Caldwell reports.
Experts predict one in five people will be infected
28 May 2009
Swine flu is now expected to hit one in five Australians this winter, authorities said. As the number of infected people around the country climbed to 66 cases last night, experts warned that for every person infected, another 10 would now be carrying the highly contagious virus.
Underage sex laws to be reviewed in NT
28 May 2009
The Northern Territory Government will review laws requiring mandatory reporting of underage sex after lobbying by a coalition of 16 peak health and legal organisations.
Roxon to face anger over blocked public health report
28 May 2009
Back on April 1, when the Croakey Register of Unreleased Documents was launched, it included mention of an NHMRC review of public health research which was conducted last year and whose findings have been widely anticipated. At the time, the NHMRC’s ceo Professor Warwick Anderson told us that the report would be released “next week”.
Govt takes stick to wealthy over health cover
27 May 2009
The stage has been set for a budget battle with the introduction of measures to cut the private health insurance rebate for wealthier people. The wealthy will also be hit with a higher surcharge if they opt out of private health insurance.
Elliott: More than $14 million for palliative care initiatives
27 May 2009
The Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot today announced a $14.4 million package to provide extra services and equipment for palliative care. Mrs Elliot said that national Palliative Care Week (24-30 May 2009) aims to raise awareness about accessing palliative care services to help Australians at the end stage of life.
Swine flu chaos tipped
27 May 2009
No-one expected that the Sunshine Coast would be exempt from the swine flu virus but the speed in which it has arrived has surprised more than a few experts who thought the disease would need to be more widespread in densely populated areas first.
Fed Govt raises possibility of swine flu related deaths
27 May 2009
MARK COLVIN: The Federal Government has raised the spectre of possible swine flu related deaths in Australia. Since yesterday the number of people testing positive to swine flu has more than doubled. There are now just over 60 cases - the majority in Victoria. The Government says there's no need to panic; so far the strain which is affecting people is mild. But it says people should prepare for more cases over the next two days.
NSW Health: H1N1 Influenza 09 (Human Swine Influenza) investigation
Human cases of a new form of influenza virus have been identified in the United States, Mexico, Canada and other countries. The virus is a type of influenza A virus that is usually seen in pigs ("swine influenza"). The pandemic alert level has been raised by the World Health Organization from phase 4 to phase 5. The Australian Government pandemic alert has been raised to the contain phase.
Anger over breach in swine flu quarantine
27 May 2009
Eight more Melburnians have been diagnosed with swine flu overnight, taking the state's total to 32.
We tried to help dying man: doctor
27 May 2009
Junior doctors are upset at claims they refused to help a dying man because they were in a training class, saying they have been unfairly blamed for a health system crippled by a lack of staff, limited resources and overcrowding.
Brisbane judge rules in favour of suspended nurse Glennys Laurel Fletcher
27 May 2009
A Brisbane judge has ruled that a nurse suspended for pocketing an estimated $200,000 inheritance from a former patient had done nothing wrong.
Swine flu hits cruise ship passengers
26 May 2009
More than 2,000 cruise ship passengers have been asked to quarantine themselves for a week after eight passengers and a crew member tested positive for swine flu.
Roxon: Battling the rising tide of kidney disease
26 May 2009
The number of Australians becoming sick and dying from kidney failure is rising rapidly, largely due to avoidable lifestyle factors such as high blood pressure. In 2007, diseases of the kidney and urinary tract jumped into the top 10 leading causes of death among Australians, with 3,230 deaths. Kidney Health Week, which is now underway, is an opportunity for Australians to learn more about the dangers of kidney disease and how to avoid it.
Monash researchers lead the way in blood clotting discovery
26 May 2009
A Monash-led research team has discovered an entirely new mechanism that promotes blood clot formation – a major breakthrough that will impact on treatment and prevention of heart disease and stroke. The discovery is today published in the prestigious Nature Medicine journal.
Nurses to be doctors at walk-in clinics
26 May 2009
Walk-in clinics allowing patients to seek faster treatment from a nurse practitioner will be set up in public hospitals around Australia, starting with a $10 million centre at Canberra Hospital.
Cruise flu lockdown for 2000
26 May 2009
Two children who arrived in Sydney on a cruise ship yesterday morning and a nine-year-old boy who returned from a holiday in the United States have tested positive to swine flu, say health officials. Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said today the number of swine flu cases in Australia - which now stands at 23 - will increase quickly.
Scientists cure paralysis in mice
26 May 2009
In a world first, West Australian scientists have cured mice of a devastating muscle disease that causes a Floppy Baby Syndrome – a breakthrough that could ultimately help thousands of families across the globe.
Under the influence
25 May 2009
In the 1840s there was a big argument among doctors that led to a paradigm shift in understanding the need to avoid invisible microbial infections. Today doctors are having a similar argument about avoiding invisible infection with bias from exposure to drug promotion.
School bans on kids to slow swine flu
25 May 2009
Students who have been on overseas trips will be banned from school for a week after they return to Australia, in an effort to slow the spread of swine flu. The latest containment measure came as the number of cases of swine flu identified in Australia rose to 16.
Heat on nurse-led clinic to succeed
25 May 2009
The success or failure of a $2.1million walk-in clinic at Canberra Hospital will determine whether the ACT Government establishes similar free clinics across the capital, Health Minister Katy Gallagher says.
The Government funded the clinic in this month's budget and expects it to cater for up to 30,000 visits a year. It will be staffed by nurse practitioners with advanced degrees and experience, and will have 15 full-time-equivalent workers.
Depression test for new mums
24 May 2009
Expectant mothers could soon be routinely tested for their risk of suffering postnatal depression (PND). The national depression group beyondblue is in consultation with the Federal Government to introduce the test and has backed a British study of 1400 women that found mothers of twins or triplets run almost double the risk of developing PND.
Hospitals may have done enough - Roxon
24 May 2009
Health Minister Nicola Roxon has hinted the states may have done enough to ward off a threatened Commonwealth takeover of public hospitals. At the last election, Labor promised to let voters go to a referendum to decide if the Commonwealth should take financial control of the nation's 750 public hospitals.
Budget a lost chance for reform
23 May 2009
The 2009 budget provided the Rudd Government with its best chance to respond to the health threats posed by the global recession, as well as the existing challenges of chronic disease and an ageing population. Given the vast sums attached to the nation-building aspects of the stimulus package, it was also its best opportunity to act decisively on its 2007 election promise of delivering more fundamental health reforms.
AMA seeks chief to regain clout
23 May 2009
A three-way battle for control of the nation's peak doctor organisation is entering its final week, with the outcome likely to re-energise opponents of the federal Government's reform agenda.
Keeping lives afloat
22 May 2009
Labor has quietly made the treatment of new arrivals more humane, leading to criticism from the Coalition that ''soft'' policies are encouraging people smugglers, and concern elsewhere that the changes have not been backed up by law.
International news
International: Maybe cola should come with a warning
28 May 2008
It would appear that one can get hooked on anything, even cola. It is a common sight these days, people lugging a large plastic bottle of cola along with them, just for them to consume that day. Time was when a large bottle of pop was a treat for the family. What is so worrisome is excessive consumption of soft drinks has been linked with obesity, diabetes and tooth as well as bone problems.
Asia: A/H1N1 flu virus further spreads in Asia-Pacific region
27 May 2009
The A/H1N1 flu virus is further spreading in the Asia-Pacific region as a number of new confirmed cases of the influenza were reported on Wednesday, prompting more measures to prevent the disease in some countries.
US: Contracts adding legal twist to family health care
Financial contracts to care for sick or aging relatives – nearly unthinkable just a decade ago – are drawing new interest as everyday Americans wrestle with the time and expense of providing long-term health care, a University of Illinois legal expert says. Law professor Richard L. Kaplan says the rise in so-called family caregiver agreements is far from a groundswell, and most people still bristle at the notion of being paid to care for parents or other relatives who may have once cared for them.
US: Breakthroughs in informatics improve nurses' daily routines.
27 May 2009
Today's nurses are at the center of care delivery. But nurses on average spend only about 31 percent of their time on direct patient care. The rest? Paperwork. Resource allocation. Information management. Workflow and communications issues. All the necessary work that can and must be done, but which puts extraordinary pressure on a nurse's capabilities and time.
SG: First H1N1 case in Singapore
Singapore has confirmed its first case of the new H1N1 flu strain, carried by a woman returning to the country on a flight from the US. The Singapore case, confirmed on Wednesday, comes as health officials in Australia defended their handling of a suspected outbreak on a cruise ship, whose passengers have been allowed to return home with instructions to self-quarantine for seven days. To date the World Health organisation say the number of H1N1 infections worldwide is nearing 13,000.
US: Nearly 1 million Californians seek medical care in Mexico annually
26 may 2009
Driven by rising health care costs at home, nearly 1 million Californians cross the border each year to seek medical care in Mexico, according a new paper by UCLA researchers and colleagues published today in the journal Medical Care.
Indonesia: Debt2Health in Indonesia
23 May 2009.
The Australian Government’s recent decision to implement a Debt2Health swap with Indonesia will permit Jakarta to invest considerably more resources into fighting tuberculosis – one of the most serious health issues currently confronted by Indonesians throughout the archipelago.
US: Nurse, 97, recognized for a lifetime of service
23 May 2009
When Willie Pearl Kelker Porter relocated to Miami with her family in 1965 she joined the nursing staff at Miami's only black hospital, Christian located in Brownsville.
US: Kidney disease and cancer risk in men
25 May 2009
There are plenty of good reasons to take care of your kidneys -- no one really wants to go on dialysis or get a transplant. Poorly functioning kidneys also increase your chances of developing -- and dying from -- cardiovascular disease. Now, a study suggests that even moderate kidney disease increases the risk for men to develop certain cancers.
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