Posts tagged with 'healthcare'

 

A tech company, Proteus, just launched a ‘smart’ cancer pills that track you with tiny sensors stamped into your medications

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A US digital medicine company called Proteus makes ‘smart pills’ embedded with sensors that tell your doctor when you’ve taken your medication. The pills also track activity levels.

Backed by big name investors like Novartis, Proteus debuted the first medication made with the technology – a form of the depression and schizophrenia drug Abilify – in 2017.

Now, Proteus is expanding into cancer.

Still, the research on whether the pills actually help patients take their medications when they should remains somewhat unclear.

Would a notification from your doctor as soon as you forget to take your medication help keep you on track?

A digital medicine company called Proteus is betting the answer is yes.

The Silicon Valley-based company makes what have been called “smart pills”: essentially, versions of regular medications embedded with a tiny sensor that can be tracked by a patch worn on a
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Some researchers discover the brain cells that make pain unpleasant

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If you step on a tack, neurons in your brain will register two things: that there’s a piercing physical sensation in your foot, and that it’s not pleasant. Now, a team of scientists at Stanford University has identified a bundle of brain cells in mice responsible for the latter – that is, the negative emotions of pain.

Pain research has traditionally focused on the neurons and molecules at the frontline of pain perception — the cells in nerves that process stings, cuts, burns and the like — and ultimately convey a physical threat message. What Dr Grégory Scherrer, assistant professor of anesthesiology and of neurosurgery, and Dr Mark Schnitzer, associate professor of biology and of applied physics, are studying goes one step further. “We’re looking at what the brain makes of that information,” Scherrer said. “While painful stimuli are detected by nerves, this information doesn’t mean anything emotionally until it reaches t
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There are so many complex reasons for South Africa’s organ donor shortage

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At any given time, there are around 4,300 people waiting for organ donations in South Africa. These patients usually need new livers, kidneys, lungs or hearts. But organ donors are in very short supply.

This isn’t unique to South Africa. Many countries around the world are unable to meet the demand for donor organs. There are a few exceptions, though. One example is Norway, where a surplus of deceased donor livers has been reported.

So what explains South Africa’s organ donor shortage?

Religious and cultural beliefs play a role, because they influence the decisions people make about the remains of their loved ones. Sometimes families prefer that a relative’s body remain whole and intact; in other cases it’s considered important to bury a person within a certain time frame. But attributing the shortages to these factors alone grossly oversimplifies the issue, as research has shown.

There are many complex elements
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South Africa needs stronger leadership and increased budgets in mental healthcare

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The psychiatric profession should play a greater role in advocating for patients’ rights and improving management of mental health in the public sector after a series of recent tragedies that highlighted the neglect of mental healthcare in South Africa.

Professor Bonga Chiliza, incoming South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop) president, says the deaths of 144 patients in the now-notorious Life Esidimeni tragedy; allegations of abuse and human rights violations at the Tower Psychiatric Hospital in the Eastern Cape; and the suicide of UCT Health Sciences Dean Prof Bongani Mayosi following his battle with depression all point to need for better management of public sector psychiatry

Therefore, the organisation will ramp up its lobbying for mental healthcare to be allocated an equitable share of the national health budget. Chiliza says Sasop would also be doing more to encourage medical students to specialise in psychiatry, in order to grow th
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ANC regime se ondersoek na privaat gesondheidsorg kos die belastingbetalers reeds miljoene Rand

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Die verkwisting van geld duur net voort en wek die indruk dat sulke ondersoeke ’n nuwe vorm van korrupsie is waar sekere mense hulleself verryk.

Die Kompetisie Kommissie se ondersoek rondom Gesondheidsorg se ondersoek het die staat R196 miljoen gekos.

Die vyf paneel lede is as volg vergoed: dr Cees Van Gent van Nederland het R11,7 miljoen ontvang, dr Ntuthuko Bhengu R9,7 miljoen, dr. Lungiswa Nkonki R6 miljoen en prof Sharon Fonn R3,3 miljoen.

Die voorsittende regter Ngcobo het R5, 9 miljoen in die sak gesteek.

Die res van die reuse bedrag is opgeslurp deur operasionele- , regs-, data-, sekuriteit- en media koste.

Die verslag sal glo in Maart 2019 gepubliseer word.

Deur: Die Vryburger
Hierdie berig weerspieël nie noodwendig die mening van SAUK-nuus nie.

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Free Medical-Aid, Hospital and Funeral Plan and Insurance Quotes at www.MedSure.co.za
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Criminals target Johannesburg clinics, facilities without electricity after cable theft – Services at the clinic have been temporarily suspended

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The Westbury clinic in Johannesburg was left without electricity after it was tampered with the facility’s main power cable said the health and social development department on Wednesday.

The clinic’s operating manager said in a statement he saw an unknown man running from the building on Tuesday afternoon after a loud blow noise was heard. He also noted smoke from the same direction as the bang.

“The fire brigade was called for precaution and the patients were evacuated. It was a relief to know that there was no fire and the smoke was of wires that burned when the cables were cut, “the department added.

Due to damage to the main power cable, the generator, which serves as backup, could not be switched on.

Services at the clinic have been temporarily suspended and all vaccines have been sent to a nearby clinic for storage.

City Power is working to restore power to the clinic.

Protea South Clinic in So
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Tekort aan menslike bronne kelder ANC-regime se Gesondheidsplan

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In ‘n verslag van die SA Health Review blyk dit dat die tekort aan menslike hulpbronne die ANC se droom van universele gesondheid dekking kelder. Die verslag toon dat veral die landelike areas ernstige tekorte het aan mediese beamptes.

Syfers toon dat soveel as 106,000 poste reeds in 2010 vakant was vir 14 kliniese gesondheidsprofessies.

Waar en hoe die staat die poste gaan vul is ‘n raaisel en die vermoede bestaan dat gekwalifiseerdes vanuit die buiteland ingevoer sal word om te verseker dat die blankes van Suid-Afrika nie aangestel word nie.

Deur: Die Vryburger

Hierdie berig weerspieël nie noodwendig die mening van SAUK-nuus nie.

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Free Medical-Aid, Hospital and Funeral Plan and Insurance Quotes at www.MedSure.co.za
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Peperduur Albert Nzula-hospitaal in Trompsburg nou ‘net ’n kliniek’

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‘n Peperduur hospitaal in Trompsburg in die Vrystaat, wat vier jaar nadat dit voltooi is eers oopgemaak het, word steeds nie ten volle gebruik nie en nog ’n hospitaal in dieselfde provinsie word net as kliniek gebruik.

Die Albert Nzula-hospitaal langs die N1-snelweg is in 2014 teen amper R400 miljoen voltooi, maar het eers verlede jaar sy deure vir pasiënte oopgemaak. Nou blyk dit sleutelposte is steeds nie gevul nie en operasieteaters, wat ten duurste toegerus is, staan in onbruik.

Die hospitaal sou oorspronklik R286 miljoen gekos het.

Die perseel huisves die hospitaal met 74 beddens, ’n kraam­afdeling, ’n ongevalleafdeling met ’n helikopterlandingsblad, agt teaters, ’n rehabilitasiesentrum, ortopediese terapie en ’n lykshuis.

Maar volgens Mariette Pittaway, DA-lid van die provinsiale wetgewer in die Vrystaat, funksioneer die hospitaal grotendeels as ’n kliniek.

“Pasiënte word hier slegs ge­diagnoseer en dan na die Pelonomi-
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Gautengse gesondheidsdepartement laat pasiënte weer honger ly

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Sowat 130 nieregeringsorganisasies (NRO’s) is Donderdag weer in die steek gelaat deur die Gautengse gesondheidsdepartement. Die NRO’s, wat almal omsien na verstandelik gestremde private pasiënte in Gauteng, is belowe dat hulle op 10 Mei hul subsidies vir April sal kry. Donderdag is hulle egter by ’n streeksvergadering ingelig dat hulle nie hul geld gaan kry nie.

“Ons het ook geen antwoorde gekry oor wanneer ons dit gaan kry nie. Dis nou middel Mei en ons sukkel,” sê Marius Bosman, bestuurder van die San Michele-tehuis in Brakpan.

“Dit kom doodeenvoudig daarop neer dat ons nie geld het om die mense in ons sorg ordentlik te versorg nie. Ons praat nou hier van basiese behoeftes soos kos om te eet, salarisse wat betaal moet word vir versorgers, die betaling van verskaffers en die belangrikste van alles, ons elektrisiteitsrekening. In die somermaande is dit sowat R75 000 en in die winter gaan dit op na R130 000,” sê ’n moedelose Bosman.
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LUR geskok oor pasiënte op bankies en vloere slaap by Church of Scotland-hospitaal

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Sibongiseni Dhlomo, KwaZulu-Natalse LUR vir gesondheid, het die naweek tydens ʼn verrassingsbesoek aan die Church of Scotland-hospitaal pasiënte wat op bankies en die vloer slaap by die hospitaal aangetref.

Dhlomo het Sondag gevolglik vir die hospitaal se bestuur opdrag gee om ʼn gepaste plek te soek vir pasiënte om te slaap wanneer hulle oornag moet wag vir vervoer om hulle na ander hospitale in Pietermaritzburg te neem.

ʼn Kankerpasiënt en meer as ʼn dosyn ma’s en kinders was onder dié wat gewag het.

“Ek is verras en kwaad dat die kwessie wat lank terug uitgestryk is nie uitgevoer is in die hospitaal nie. Dié pasiënte het hul huise verlaat en hierheen gekom.”

Hy het ook gesê dat hy nie beïndruk is met die higiëne in die hospitaal nie. “Ek het vandag vir mevrou Mamizi Mkhize gesien, sy het gevorderde kanker. Sy moet verdere behandeling by Greys-hospitaal ontvang. Ek het haar aangetref waar sy kniel op die bankie, want sy sê sy kan nie met
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