| Worker Shortages Threaten Health Advances |
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A shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives around the globe is threatening health initiatives and could have dire political and economic consequences, public health experts said on Friday.
A shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives around the globe is threatening health initiatives and could have dire political and economic consequences, public health experts said on Friday.
Without an estimated 4 million more healthcare workers, efforts to battle HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases could fail.
Millions of people around the world are trapped in a vicious spiral of sickness and death. For them there is no tomorrow without action today, said Lincoln Chen, of Harvard University in Massachusetts, co-author of a report on health resources.
At stake is nothing less than the course of global health and development in the 21st century, he and his colleagues added in The Lancet medical journal in a summary of the study.
The report, Human Resources for Health: Overcoming the Crisis, identifies the causes of the problem and examines strategies to strengthen health systems teetering on collapse.
It was conducted under the auspices of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI), an independent network of more than 100 world health leaders.
This is the first global view of this huge challenge, Chen told journalists during a conference call.
Poverty, political instability and uneven economic growth are the backdrop to the health crisis, according to the study.
It is exacerbated by rising infections of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, a brain drain of medical professionals from poor to wealthy countries and rural areas to cities and a legacy of chronic under-investment in education and training.
We estimate the global shortage at more than 4 million workers approximately, he added.
There are more Malawian doctors working in Manchester, England than in Malawi. Only a fraction of doctors trained in Zambia remain there, according to the report.
Countries in sub-Saharan Africa must nearly triple their current healthcare workforce by adding about 1 million workers to deliver health services.
Today’s dramatic health reversals risk more than human survival in the poorest countries; they threaten health, development, and security in an interdependent world, Chen and his colleagues added.
The report urged governments to have a national workforce plan to address their health needs and to increase investment in human resources.
It also urged international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (news - web sites) (WHO) and the World Bank (news - web sites), and donor countries, to designate $400 million annually to help countries educate, recruit and retain doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.
An independent, non-governmental and short-term Action Alliance should also be launched to monitor progress in implementing the report’s recommendations.
What we do -- or what we fail to do -- will shape the course of global health for the entire 21st century, Chen and his colleagues said in the journal.
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| Manmohan Singh calls Karunanidhi - Nov 27, 2004 17:38 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M. Karunanidhi to enquire about his health Friday, DMK sources said.
Karunanidhi, 81, was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai for a stomach ailment.
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| Former CNN Headline News Health Anchor Speaks Up for NutriSystem - Nov 27, 2004 14:53 IST |
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Kat Carney, a CNN Headline News health anchor for more than three years, has decided to dedicate her talents to helping America’s weight-challenged dieters reach their goals and improve their lives. In the past, television viewers have watched her unsuccessfully struggle to overcome a lifelong obesity problem, but today, Carney is happy to report that she has lost 40 pounds on the NutriSystem (AMEX: NSI) Nourish program and just signed on as an official spokesperson to tell the world about it.
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| British official to join Sonia Gandhi for AIDS walk - Nov 27, 2004 14:54 IST |
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Joining the AIDS Walk for Life in India with Congress party president Sonia Gandhi on World AIDS Day - Dec 1 - will be one of the highlights of British Secretary for International Development Hilary Benn’s visit next week.
Benn will be making his first official visit to India over four days from Nov 29. He will travel to Andhra Pradesh to visit an HIV/AIDS and TB hospital and launch a DFID (Department for International Development)- funded project to combat child labour.
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| Health Discovery Corporation Announces Filing of Patent Application Covering Gene Biomarkers for Prostate Disease - Nov 27, 2004 14:51 IST |
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Health Discovery Corporation (OTC BB: HDVY) today announced that it has filed an application in the United States Patent and Trademark Office for patent protection of its latest discoveries relating to diagnosis and treatment of prostate disease. These discoveries include new sets of genetic biomarkers that provide a high degree of accuracy for distinguishing BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) from prostate cancer and for distinguishing high-grade prostate cancers from less malignant grades. Biomarkers were also identified for separating BPH from normal prostate with a high degree of accuracy. Claims in the patent application are directed to each new set of biomarkers and their uses in screening, diagnosis and treatment of prostate disease.
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| UK’s National Health Service may outsource to India - Nov 27, 2004 14:50 IST |
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Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) is expected to move around 400 jobs to India to save costs as part of a part-privatisation of its back-office accounting and purchasing division.
IT services firm Xansa is reported to be taking a 50 percent stake in a government agency that does purchasing and accounting on behalf of the NHS.
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| AIDS in jails but no proposal for condoms - Nov 27, 2004 14:47 IST |
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Despite an AIDS outbreak in Maharashtra’s jails, the state government here is reluctant to distribute condoms among the inmates like in other countries.
State government officials here fear that the distribution of condoms in jails would amount to condoning homosexuality, which is an offence under Indian law.
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| British health officials endorse NRI couple’s crusade - Nov 27, 2004 14:42 IST |
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A non-resident Indian (NRI) couple’s crusade for the right to create a donor sibling for stem cell treatment of their ailing son has led British health authorities agree to fund the controversial technique for treating similar cases.
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) has reportedly come to accept the technique that enables scientists to find out whether an embryo will grow into a child whose tissue will match that of a brother or sister.
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| New eHI Group Brings Small Medical Practices Closer to Using Information Technology - Nov 27, 2004 14:8 IST |
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Small medical practices ready to use electronic health records are that much closer to implementation because of a new eHealth Initiative (eHI) working group. Launched today, the Working Group for Health Information Technology (HIT) in Small Medical Practices will put practical, easy-to-use resources into the hands of those who deliver the majority of U.S. health care -- clinicians practicing in groups of 10 or less -- thereby improving the quality of care delivered to a majority of America’s patients.
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| Novation Pilots Online Contract Bidding Tool for Its Medical-Surgical Distribution Bid - Nov 27, 2004 14:7 IST |
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Novation, the supply company of VHA Inc. and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), has created a new online Web site that will allow companies to participate in a competitive bid for its upcoming medical-surgical distribution contract. The online tool saves distributors time and money, and will help Novation speed new contracts to market. Novation has received more than 65 registrations for its medical-surgical distribution request for information (RFI) since the site went live in early November.
The registration site (http://www.novationco.com/suppliers/su_bidcalendar.asp) enables suppliers to register to participate in the RFI. Once registered, distributors are provided access to a separate Web site where they can electronically view and download all documents related to the RFI.
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| IBM and Massachusetts General Hospital Announce Effort to Improve Information Sharing Among Cancer Researchers - Nov 27, 2004 14:3 IST |
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IBM and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, announced today that they are working together to study how the development of a grid-based, distributed computing infrastructure can facilitate improved collaboration and information sharing among cancer researchers.
Working with leading cancer researcher Dr. Thomas Deisboeck, M.D., of MGH’s Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging -- who is also affiliated with the Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) -- IBM computer scientists at the company’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, research lab have built a grid of high-performance computers designed to improve information sharing and help researchers gain new insight through advanced brain tumor modeling and simulation.
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| Milk to help treat osteoporosis - Nov 27, 2004 13:1 IST |
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The remarkable bone-building properties of a milk protein can help treat osteoporosis, researchers in New Zealand have discovered.
Auckland’s Osteoporosis Research Group has found that lactoferrin inhibits bone breakdown and boosts bone growth four times faster than normal when injected directly into bone cells, reports Xinhua.
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| Stanly Memorial Hospital Seamlessly Integrates Meditech With MEDHOST’s Full ED Product Suite - Nov 27, 2004 12:50 IST |
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Stanly Memorial Hospital seamlessly integrated its Meditech interfaces with the fully powered suite of MEDHOST Emergency Department Management System (EDMS) software products on August 10, 2004. Stanly Memorial, which experiences approximately 30,000 patient visits per year, made this integration decision in 90 days, from contract to go-live.
While MEDHOST is an electronic record designed specifically for the ED, Stanly Memorial used global thinking in selecting the vendor, taking into consideration how the system impacts patients as they travel through the rest of the organization. According to Brian Freeman, Vice President of Diagnostics and Information Technology at Stanly, MEDHOST can transfer the data into other clinical systems and data repositories. The data is readily accessible, allowing us to provide exceptional care and increase efficiency.
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| Colarossi Spa & Health Club Consulting & Management - Nov 27, 2004 12:26 IST |
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Colarossi Spa & Health Club Consulting & Management has been retained by WCI to help prepare for the opening of the new luxurious Spa & Health Club at The Resort at Singer Island, Florida. Responsibilities include the initial consult, spa program development, design, layout, and equipment selection, to name a few.
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| Nociceptive Pain - Safety Profile Uppermost in Crowded Market - Nov 27, 2004 12:23 IST |
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Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c10173) has announced the addition of Pipeline Insight: Nociceptive Pain - Safety Profile Uppermost in Crowded Market to their offering.
The nociceptive pain pipeline contains few novel drugs, instead being filled with reformulations and drug combinations. To make a drug stand out in this replete market, particularly at a time when there is great public concern about drug withdrawals, it must have an unquestionable safety profile, proven over long-term trials.
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| The Italian Market for Medical Equipment and Supplies Was Valued at Us$3,922 Million in 2004 - Nov 27, 2004 12:16 IST |
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Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c10117) has announced the addition of Italy Medical Market Intelligence Report to their offering.
In recent years, Italian health reforms have centred on cost containment and the decentralisation of financial responsibility to the regions. Cost containment measures in the 2003 Finance Bill included the reinstatement of patient co-payments for specialist examinations and diagnostic visits. In February 2004, 150,000 healthcare workers held a 24 hour strike to protest against health service cuts. The Italian market for medical equipment and supplies was valued at US$3,922 million in 2004. The market ranks sixth in the world and the fourth in Europe, behind Germany, the UK and France. Per capita spending ranks just inside the top twenty at around US$68 in 2004. Although Italy has a strong manufacturing sector, its balance of trade deficit in medical equipment and supplies has been in excess of US$1 billion since 1998.
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| Germany’s Medical Device Market Ranks as the World’s Third Largest, Valued At US$8.0 Billion In 2004 - Nov 27, 2004 12:14 IST |
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Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c10105) has announced the addition of Germany Medical Market Intelligence Report to their offering.
Despite economic problems and need for reform in many areas, Germany continues to be one of the world’s strongest health markets. Germany’s medical device market ranks as the world’s third largest, valued at US$8.0 billion in 2004, around a quarter of the west European market. However, financial problems and healthcare reforms have negatively affected market development in Germany. The domestic medical equipment and device industry has largely managed to remain profitable and continue to grow based on a good export performance.
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| Norway’s Medical Market is Estimated to Be Worth US$571.7 Million - Nov 27, 2004 12:13 IST |
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Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c10122) has announced the addition of Norway Medical Market Intelligence Report to their offering.
Ranked 4th in the World in terms of per capita expenditure, Norway represents a mature and wealthy medical device market. In 2004, the market is estimated to be worth US$571.7 million with a per capita spending of US$130. Health policy is centred around a publicly run health service available to the whole population, hindered neither by the individual’s geographical location or income. The organisation of the health system has been a topic of debate in recent years. In particular, the central government took over the responsibility of running all public hospitals in 2001, making them into health enterprises. The reform is aimed at improving efficiency and performance within in the hospital sector and generating savings from economies of scale, especially for equipment purchases.
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| Imported Drugs Account for around 60% of Slovenia’s Pharmaceutical Market - Nov 27, 2004 12:12 IST |
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Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c10130) has announced the addition of Slovenia Pharmaceutical Country Intelligence Report to their offering.
Whatever your needs, whether you are monitoring developments in national markets, identifying new opportunities, assessing product areas, or using the data as an integral part of your market planning, WPM’s country reports are invaluable. Sections are included on the organisation and administration of health services, healthcare expenditure, hospital and outpatient services, medical personnel and healthcare development. Issues relevant to the pharmaceutical market environment are outlined, including regulation, registration, patent protection and distribution. The market section includes data on domestic production and international trade.
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| Plastic Surgeons in New York, Florida, Chicago, Los Angeles Named America’s Top Plastic Surgeons - Nov 27, 2004 12:9 IST |
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MDNationwide.org randomly asked that question of 5,000 board-certified plastic surgeons nationwide With 33 percent responding and after checking our research for proper licensure status, disciplinary status, education, and training our results determined 358 top plastic surgeons in America. (See http://www.mdnationwide.org/search.php.) “We are Pleased to recognizing these surgeons as the pinnacle of plastic surgeons, and we thank them for contributing a high quality of health care nationwide.” Said Hugo Gallegos, president of MDNationwide.
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| Upgrading to Gomembers’ Latest Version Benefits Christus - Nov 27, 2004 12:8 IST |
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Gomembers, Inc. (http://www.gomembers.com) is pleased to announce that Christus Santa Rosa Medical Center (CSRMC, http://www.christussantarosa.org) has chosen to upgrade to the latest version of meetingtrak/ce. The newest version of meetingtrak will provide the center with the most comprehensive meeting software solution available today.
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