tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62564636405490919952024-03-13T04:37:21.014+02:00IIMS - Asean - SingaporeNews and activities of the International Institute of Medicine and Science Asean Chapter of IIMS, Inc. California, USA - Health care, Life Science, Education, Research, Philanthropy. Asean is the economic organisation of ten countries located in South East Asia: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-66126680165986029482016-06-27T08:22:00.000+03:002016-06-27T08:22:24.163+03:00Singapore - Singapore offers guidance on cloud use for the private healthcare sector<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_Nwxaj4GzDB2LC82PIGYZWyMy_ordOeRWy2OajCwyktT1raTvwUYNivOsc13UVS6GIgS_EM_YAqVYrmfKGUWSU0CMjCA_YqkSa_ZUMqGpxuswjV37fhYmhMWj9lQt48OxDhitub6uRY2/s1600/A10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_Nwxaj4GzDB2LC82PIGYZWyMy_ordOeRWy2OajCwyktT1raTvwUYNivOsc13UVS6GIgS_EM_YAqVYrmfKGUWSU0CMjCA_YqkSa_ZUMqGpxuswjV37fhYmhMWj9lQt48OxDhitub6uRY2/s320/A10.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Ministry of Health (MOH)
recently mapped cloud security standards for the private healthcare sector.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
Multi-Tier Cloud Security (MTCS) Singapore Standard aims to bring clarity to
the private healthcare sector on how cloud computing can be used and applied
for their enterprises, as well as trust through transparency of cloud service
providers (CSPs) via certification.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
mapping guidelines show that the base tier of the MTCS, Level 1, could be used
to host publicly available information such as clinical standards and
terminology systems. Meanwhile, the most stringent tier, Level 3, could be used
to host clinical administrative support systems such as billing and admissions
data.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Singapore
must continue to lay the foundations for innovative solutions to thrive and
grow in a Smart Nation, and this means bringing clarity to industry sectors to
aid in their adoption. We are encouraged that the healthcare sector can now
look to adopting the cloud with the clarity which our Multi-Tier Cloud Security
Standard brings," said IDA Assistant Chief Executive Khoong Hock Yun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides
the MTCS, IDA recently called for feedback on the possibility of a data
certification framework. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
agency has been driving clarity in the data landscape through various guidelines
and standards, and is looking into the potential for an expanded framework to
further drive adoption and use of private datasets through clarity. One such
potential use case could be in exploring how a "common tongue" could
be achieved between dataset owners and potential buyers to better gauge
datasets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nurdianah
Md Nur<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.ida.gov.sg/Tech-Scene-News/ICT-Standards-and-Framework/MTCS-Certification-Scheme">Read
more…</a> and <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/TrustCenter/Compliance/MTCS">Microsoft
MTCS Singapore</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mis-asia.com/tech/cloud-computing/singapore-offers-guidance-on-cloud-use-for-the-private-healthcare-sector/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mis-asia</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-31433298361260602492016-06-27T08:17:00.001+03:002016-06-27T08:17:45.318+03:00Singapore - Health warning issued against anti-itch herbal product<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAWkXScgjbVtNF6HUTwwFU6u6T1pJXMyQJMtBQXKr2yWZS4k8zZiMTIGLDZIacvI_9UIBuh-sAoyOcOP58qnk0my0BNp8Fx_1ftNbUoTAypTqqkzKWNVSkj7GBCMdtWzSOh4-JSt8KVdU/s1600/A9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAWkXScgjbVtNF6HUTwwFU6u6T1pJXMyQJMtBQXKr2yWZS4k8zZiMTIGLDZIacvI_9UIBuh-sAoyOcOP58qnk0my0BNp8Fx_1ftNbUoTAypTqqkzKWNVSkj7GBCMdtWzSOh4-JSt8KVdU/s320/A9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SINGAPORE:
<b>A health warning has been issued by
Singapore authorities against an anti-itch herbal product after a woman who had
taken the capsules developed Cushing’s syndrome, which causes rapid weight gain
and a round “moon face”.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
consumer, who is in her 40s, had taken the Hai Leng Hai Beh Herbal Itch
Removing Capsule (海龙海马止痒丸) capsules to relieve
an itchy skin condition, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in an
advisory on Thursday (May 5).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although
the condition improved within a day of taking the capsules, she experienced
rapid weight gain and her face became puffy after consuming the product for
more than two months, HSA said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was later
diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, which is characterised by a round or “moon
face”, and upper body obesity with thin limbs. The doctor reported the case to
HSA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
product was found to contain undeclared "potent Western medicinal
ingredients" dexamethasone, chlorpheniramine and paracetamol, although it
was labelled “100% herbal”, HSA said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Dexamethasone is a potent steroid that is
usually prescribed for inflammatory conditions and should only be used under
strict medical supervision. Long-term unsupervised use of oral steroids can
cause Cushing’s syndrome, increased blood glucose levels leading to diabetes,
high blood pressure, cataracts, muscular and bone disorders and an increased
risk of infections,” it said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although
the consumer had purchased the product overseas, HSA warned that it does not
rule out the possibility of the product being sold in Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any
sellers in Singapore should immediately stop the sale and distribution of the
product immediately, it said. Offenders may face a fine of up to S$10,000 and
up to two years’ jail if convicted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Members
of the public who have purchased or are consuming the capsules are advised to
consult a doctor as soon as possible. They should not stop the use of the
product immediately as the sudden discontinuation of steroids without proper
medical supervision can cause withdrawal symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, confusion
and low blood pressure, especially when it has been consumed for more than a
few weeks, HSA said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CNA/cy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/health-warning-issued/2758076.html?cid=fbcna"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">channelnewsasia</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-5458981319093036422016-06-27T07:57:00.000+03:002016-06-27T07:57:13.816+03:00Singapore - Dengue cases in Singapore rise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-xsLfB2a8YJr3nqmX6336v8PpHM70RoGpExgKLt2m17FgcadX18hjcnrTd021kZC_41Sc80AbG7ZmIlRufwmMwlMPIBuhQsxT0ydmhSI_ib5jr4kE-Jf9mT4mEyUUOE_2UKxhUUes6ig/s1600/A8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-xsLfB2a8YJr3nqmX6336v8PpHM70RoGpExgKLt2m17FgcadX18hjcnrTd021kZC_41Sc80AbG7ZmIlRufwmMwlMPIBuhQsxT0ydmhSI_ib5jr4kE-Jf9mT4mEyUUOE_2UKxhUUes6ig/s320/A8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
number of new dengue cases in Singapore rose to 244 with 15 new cases recorded
last week, according to latest figures published by the National Environment
Agency’s (NEA) on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another
44 cases were reported between May 1 and 3, Channel News Asia reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A total
of 7,370 dengue cases have been reported in Singapore since the start of the
year. Four people have died of the disease.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
health ministry and NEA have warned that the number of dengue cases in
Singapore may exceed 30,000 this year, higher than the record of 22,170
reported in 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
due to factors such as warmer conditions brought about by the El Nino weather
phenomenon, faster breeding and maturation cycles of the Aedes mosquito
population and a change in the main circulating dengue virus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are
now 61 active dengue clusters in Singapore, including 12 classified as
high-risk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.ianslive.in/index.php?param=news/Dengue_cases_in_Singapore_rise-508725/HEALTH%20AND%20TRAVEL/35"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ianslive</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-89642416373450835932016-06-27T07:53:00.000+03:002016-06-27T07:53:09.474+03:00Singapore - Regional study to be done on economic, health and social impact of haze in 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ag3kuQtNDQP3141ySWVq6pIlDTu9cbACcnztHmRingquTL7ndl2f_vfEA0Y42EXJWh41McNQmGlzHonIRs865r8Z4ADIlD488pxo2mFR_vvmEASCxYQOgZB3OSbYew53JtNHZMYreu_B/s1600/A7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ag3kuQtNDQP3141ySWVq6pIlDTu9cbACcnztHmRingquTL7ndl2f_vfEA0Y42EXJWh41McNQmGlzHonIRs865r8Z4ADIlD488pxo2mFR_vvmEASCxYQOgZB3OSbYew53JtNHZMYreu_B/s320/A7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SINGAPORE
- The haze episode in 2015 went down in history as the worst on record,
surpassing even the 1997 and 2013 crises. In a bid to assess the implications
for South-east Asia, a regional study on its economic, health and social
impacts will be conducted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This will
allow affected countries to better understand the impact of transboundary haze
and supplement existing estimates on the cost of the 2015 haze.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Details
of the type of data that will be included in the study are still being worked
out, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources, told the media on Wednesday morning (May 4).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
because different countries collect different types of data depending on their
economies. Singapore, for instance, collects data on affected tourism while
Indonesia collects data related to agriculture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr
Masagos noted that while there is no timeline yet for when the study will be
completed, he hopes there will be some results in a year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was
speaking during the press conference for the 18th Meeting of the Sub-regional
Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution, which was
held in the Marina Mandarin Hotel in Singapore on Wednesday morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hosted by
Singapore, the meeting was attended by environment ministry representatives
from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. Indonesia was
represented by Mr Arief Yuwono, senior adviser to the Minister for Energy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smoke-belching
forest and peatland fires that burn in Indonesia are the main cause of the haze
experienced by Singapore and the region during the traditional dry season
between June and October every year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2015,
the fires burned harder and for longer due mainly to the El Niño weather
phenomenon, which is linked to prolonged hot and dry weather in this region. It
resulted in prolonged haze that clouded the skies of Indonesia and its
neighbours - causing illness and death, grounding flights and closing schools.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During
Wednesday's meeting, the ministers noted that the effects of El Nino are
expected to subside by the middle 2016, when the dry season typically begins.
They also noted that La Nina conditions, a weather phenomenon associated with
more rain this region, is expected to kick in by the third quarter of 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While
this could bring more rain to the parched, fire-prone landscape in Indonesia
amid the dry season, Mr Masagos noted there could still be periods of dry
spells in between bouts of rain. But the hope is that haze of last year's scale
will not affect Singapore when June comes around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/regional-study-to-be-done-on-economic-health-and-social-impact-of-haze-in-2015"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-38546516571709074382016-06-27T07:45:00.000+03:002016-06-27T07:45:50.734+03:00Singapore - Struck by cancer: Should I tell my kids?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How does a parent who has just received a
cancer diagnosis break the news to children? Eveline Gan finds out<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being
told that you have cancer is a frightening experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throw
young children into the equation, and navigating the life-threatening illness
often becomes more complex.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents
who have been hit by the disease said one of their topmost concerns following
their diagnosis is: "Should I tell the children?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr Kelvin
Choo, 50, chose not to share the news with his four children when he was
battling advanced colon cancer in 2012 and 2013. As part of his treatment, the
primary school teacher had surgery to remove 15cm of his large intestine and
underwent chemotherapy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His
reason: At just two to seven years old then, his children were too young to
understand the gravity of the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"My
wife and I just told them that I was not feeling too good and needed some time
to recover," said Mr Choo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another
parent, Janice (not her real name), kept her condition a secret until a few
weeks before her death. In her 40s, she did so to protect her only child from
the horrors of the disease, which could not be contained despite aggressive
treatment. But when she called her 10-year-old son to her bedside in the last
weeks of her life, he rejected her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By then,
she had physically deteriorated so much that she was a shadow of her former
self, said Ms Jayne Leong, manager of psychosocial services at the Singapore
Cancer Society (SCS), which provided home hospice support to Janice's family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nobody
told the boy or prepared him for it. The dying mother wanted her son to be near
her. "But to the child, witnessing his mother's physical change must have
been frightening," said Ms Leong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite
parents' good intentions of protecting their children, counsellors said hiding
the disease beneath a shroud of secrecy can backfire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
because children, even the really young, are able to observe what is happening
around them, said Mr Travis Loh, principal medical social worker from the
psychosocial oncology division at National Cancer Centre, Singapore (NCCS).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms Saryna
Ong, another medical social worker from the psychosocial oncology division,
said: "Children can recognise that something is not right when their
parents are sick."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
children are not given the right information, they become more frightened. In
addition, said Ms Leong, trust may be broken if the children hear about the
diagnosis from another person other than the parent himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sharing
information about the illness early - in an age-appropriate manner - opens the
door for communication between parent and children. It also addresses any
misconceptions the children may develop when they are being kept in the dark,
added Mr Loh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms Leong
said that parents who want to protect the children do not realise that the
youngsters need help to make sense of reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A case in
point is Janice's son. In his naive 10-year-old mind, he had blamed himself for
his mother's cancer. "He thought his mother was very sick because he was
naughty. Children may think their parent's illness is their fault, when not
given information and assurance," said Ms Leong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEING UPFRONT ABOUT ILLNESS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Senior
enrolled nurse Zulfa Anas, 47, has seen first-hand the lasting regret secrecy
can cause. She was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer in 2006 and has suffered
two cancer relapses since then.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A mother
of two boys aged 12 and nine, she said: "My friend did not tell her
teenage sons she had cervical cancer until it was too late. At her wake, her
children were so angry that they were not informed about her illness earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They
also had a lot of regrets about not spending more time with their mum."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NCCS' Ms
Ong said giving children appropriate and timely updates on their parents'
disease helps minimise the shock they may experience if bad news is broken to
them suddenly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For that
reason, Madam Zulfa has openly shared and involved her sons in her cancer
journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She has
even informed them who will take care of them, in the event that she dies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I
don't want my kids to blame me or feel lost if I'm no longer around," she said.
She is currently on maintenance treatment, in stable condition, but the doctor
has not given her the all-clear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Similarly,
being upfront about her illness was a necessity for Madam Sandar Myint, 45, who
is battling stage three breast cancer. Her three children are aged 14, nine and
five.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her
husband, Mr Nay Myo Hun, 38, said: "They realised very early on that their
mother was seriously sick when we took them along to the hospital for her
treatments because no one else could care for them."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The illness
has also affected the couple's finances. They had to explain why they could not
afford many things when the new school term started. "I felt embarrassed
telling the kids about our financial struggles, but it was necessary for them
to understand," said Mr Nay Myo Hun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While it
may not always be possible, maintaining normalcy in your child's schedules will
help him feel more secure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite
having no domestic help at home, Mr Choo and his wife, a 42-year-old insurance
agent, tried to stick to their children's regular routines as much as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They
formed a tag team, working out a schedule to manage the children's routines,
their work and his treatments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The
only setback was not being able to take them out during my treatments," Mr
Choo said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But they
made up for it by watching movies or playing educational games together at
home. Mr Choo is currently cancer-free and does not need further treatment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He
eventually told his children about his brush with cancer, when the topic of
death came up after his father died from prostate cancer last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They
are now older and at an age where they would ask many questions. We explained
what cancer is, and they have also found out more information about the
condition through the media," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While telling
your children about your illness is important, so is offering them ample
support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for
parents struggling to cope with their disease, that can be a huge challenge,
said counsellors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms Leong
advises parents to rope in professional help - available at SCS and all
restructured hospitals with a team of medical social workers - if they are
unable or do not know how to do this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They
should also watch for changes in their children's behaviour - it may affect
their academic performance, regular activities and mood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The
ways children cope with difficulties in their lives can be very different from
that of adults. They do not necessarily always verbally share their feelings
and struggles," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hence, Mr
Loh added, engaging them through non-verbal means, such as through play and
art, can be more effective at times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SCS and
NCCS currently have support programmes in place to help children cope. About
100 children have gone through NCCS' art therapy and bereavement programmes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its
medical social workers also provide counselling and psychosocial support to
children affected by their parent's illness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At SCS,
the Help the Children and Youth programme has educational financial assistance
schemes, free home tuition, and activities such as camps and family engagement
programmes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Through
these day trips and activities, the family is brought together and experience
what life was probably like before cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Said Ms
Leong: "Very often, families affected by cancer focus on the treatment
plan and forget the need to have fun too."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madam
Zulfa and Mr Nay Myo Hun said sharing information with their little ones has
its silver lining.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr Nay
Myo Hun said his oldest child seems to have "grown up".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"He
has become more understanding and proactive. Previously, he left all the
household chores to his mother but, now, he helps out at mealtimes. He has also
been working harder in school," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madam
Zulfa said her illness has drawn the family closer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Every
day, the children, especially my older boy, still tell me they love me very
much before I leave for work," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Through
this cancer journey, we have learnt to really treasure the time we have
together as a family."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/struck-by-cancer-should-i-tell-my-kids"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000011.352083 103.81983600000001 1.352083 103.81983600000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-19351674282337120082016-06-27T07:40:00.000+03:002016-06-27T07:40:33.658+03:00Singapore - Know which cancers to screen for and when<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWMTM2kZHLaWn_seFCw51jEQyWzdatVLrg6iqLzF9AhviO60KWshvEUZywsUwNR_y-ZiOG0GsuOACoRdVvtoLLYV3inHsa_nH0SfY-WkIB7JaDe50TAl5FW0951iOjHU9IdDxf1J4Y3wO/s1600/A5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWMTM2kZHLaWn_seFCw51jEQyWzdatVLrg6iqLzF9AhviO60KWshvEUZywsUwNR_y-ZiOG0GsuOACoRdVvtoLLYV3inHsa_nH0SfY-WkIB7JaDe50TAl5FW0951iOjHU9IdDxf1J4Y3wO/s320/A5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q. I am 41 years old. Is it necessary for me to
go for cancer screening even though I am feeling very well?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A. Cancer
is one of the top two medical killers in Singapore. The best chance of
surviving cancer is by detecting the condition early.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With
advances in medical technology and knowledge, a lot of cancers are now
treatable and potentially curable if the condition is discovered early.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore,
early detection of cancer by cancer screening is extremely important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Checking
for cancer (or for conditions that may lead to cancer) in people who have no
symptoms is called screening. Screening can help doctors find and treat some
types of cancer early.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
not all types of cancer have effective screening tests and some tests are only
for people with specific genetic risks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
recommended screening tests that are effective in detecting cancer early, where
effective treatments are available for the cancers are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mammography
for breast cancer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colonoscopy
for bowel cancer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PAP smear
tests for cervical cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Screening
tests for other cancers are available, but these are recommended only for
people who are at high risk of developing that group of cancer, such as
computed tomography scans for smokers, who have a higher risk of developing lung
cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone
who is above the age of 50 should go for bowel cancer screening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some
people who are at high risk, such as those with a strong family history of the
cancer or a history of polyps, may need to have bowel screening tests done at
an earlier age.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colonoscopy
involves a doctor examining the whole of the inside of your bowel with a long
flexible tube. Colonoscopy allows direct visualisation of the bowel wall and
allows a biopsy to be taken if abnormalities are seen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breast
cancer screening is recommended for all women above the age of 40. Some people
who are at high risk, such as those who have a strong family history of breast
cancer, may need to have breast screening tests done at an earlier age.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mammography
involves a radiographer who helps you to position one breast at a time between
two small flat plates on the X-ray machine. The plates then press your breast
firmly between them for a few moments, to take an X-ray. The compression of the
breast helps to give a clear picture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All
sexually active women above the age of 21 should go for a cervical cancer
screening test. The screening test involves a doctor taking a small sample of
cells from the surface of your cervix.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
done by putting an instrument called a speculum inside your vagina, then
scraping the cervix with a small soft brush. The sample is sent to a laboratory
where a pathologist analyses the cells and reports abnormal ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Sue Lo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Senior consultant medical oncologist at The
Harley Street Heart & Cancer Centre<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/know-which-cancers-to-screen-for-and-when"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000011.352083 103.81983600000001 1.352083 103.81983600000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-59735819515948246072016-06-27T06:00:00.001+03:002016-06-27T06:00:52.599+03:00Singapore - Dementia costs Singapore $1.4b a year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqNOUZqLZdzV13-kcqBQdzkE-DTNmgI-erjmHiPdI3QfuB-CV9q2DkcotBT3gycA9XLQiXqysyqR21lDVZWehFnQ3EPsfjyKtzsj6j_Y7vQ-QrOYI1dB_LLIOvTkxctSsPOrche8qUmvA/s1600/A3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqNOUZqLZdzV13-kcqBQdzkE-DTNmgI-erjmHiPdI3QfuB-CV9q2DkcotBT3gycA9XLQiXqysyqR21lDVZWehFnQ3EPsfjyKtzsj6j_Y7vQ-QrOYI1dB_LLIOvTkxctSsPOrche8qUmvA/s320/A3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dementia
and its accompanying woes cost the country $1.4 billion every year, making it
among the biggest drains on the healthcare system here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
alarming figure, uncovered for the first time by local and international
researchers, underscores the need to prevent the debilitating disease from
taking hold in greying Singapore, say experts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Part
of trying to define the scale of the problem is finding out dementia's economic
cost," said Professor Chong Siow Ann, vice-chairman of the Institute of
Mental Health's medical board (research), who was involved in the study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"That
then gives us an idea where we might want to intervene."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He and 13
others, from IMH, Changi General Hospital, the Ministry of Health and King's
College London analysed the social care costs - such as care provided by family
members and maids - and healthcare costs of 2,565 people, the majority of them
aged 60 to 74. About one in 10 of them had dementia - consistent with the
national average.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What the
researchers found: For every person with dementia, he, his family and society
paid $10,245 more in health and social care costs in 2013 than those without
the condition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a
country, Singapore shouldered the burden of $532 million that year, to care for
people with the brain disease marked by memory disorders, personality changes
and impaired reasoning. Taking into account social factors and other health
problems dementia patients tend to suffer from such as depression and
hypertension, the cost triples to $27,331 per person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The study
offers an important benchmark for the illness, said the researchers, who are
calling in particular for more help for caregivers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Said Dr
Chia Shi-Lu, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health:
"Such studies do provide grist to the policy mill and are useful to either
start or bookend discussions about resource allocations for specific medical
issues, in this case dementia."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last
month, the Government declared war on diabetes, which cost more than $1 billion
in 2010 - a figure expected to soar beyond $2.5 billion by 2050. The estimated
cost per working-age person due to diabetes was $7,678 in 2010, and is expected
to go up to $10,596 by 2050.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As at
2013, the annual cost of dementia, at $10,245 per patient, already closes in on
the 2050 mark for diabetes, experts pointed out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The price
tag is expected to grow exponentially as the country ages. There were about
40,000 dementia patients here last year and this is projected to reach 53,000
by 2020, and 187,000 by 2050.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notably,
the study found that over three-quarters of the money spent on dementia
patients comprises social care such as income lost when caregivers take time
off work, while the rest is due to healthcare costs, including hospital
admissions and doctor visits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Associate
Professor Phua Kai Hong of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the
National University of Singapore said there is still a lack of professional
outpatient care here such as rehabilitation services or care for a patient's
daily needs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If you
look at Singapore, most care is absorbed by the family or at most shows up as
the cost of hiring a maid," Prof Phua said. Placing the burden squarely on
these two groups would result in poor care for Singapore's elderly and heavy
stress on caregivers, he warned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Jeremy
Lim, a partner in global consulting firm Oliver Wyman, said there is a need to
be creative in finding solutions. This includes changing the subsidy model to
recognise the high social costs and give more subsidies not just for medicine
and institutional care, but also in areas such as transport and
elderly-friendly infrastructure for homes, for instance. "More of the
same, meaning more of today's care model, will doom us to failure," he
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Samantha
Boh<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/dementia-costs-singapore-14b-a-year"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-66120608881013646672016-05-05T00:06:00.001+03:002016-05-05T00:06:56.168+03:00Singapore - Brief bursts of intense exercise give same health benefits as long duration activity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyzIDBLPruscvlnW-UUVEpwMmjRFg3YVfKrsYAzmtNaZPlslURXoxiiU0ZSpQ5mErkuSVfdszcGvhawdjDLi2WhTf-UXI3IEHHrTPh5OECgoBlhXvP11tqLKfDDWkoEENCe2pNAuqnvS_/s1600/A5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyzIDBLPruscvlnW-UUVEpwMmjRFg3YVfKrsYAzmtNaZPlslURXoxiiU0ZSpQ5mErkuSVfdszcGvhawdjDLi2WhTf-UXI3IEHHrTPh5OECgoBlhXvP11tqLKfDDWkoEENCe2pNAuqnvS_/s320/A5.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
excuse of not having time to exercise just got deleted permanently under a
study showing all it needs is a single minute of intense activity to obtain
benefits of longer regimen. Climbing the stairs at work after lunch could be an
ideal and quick workout.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Researchers at McMaster University have shown that a
workout totaling 10 minutes of intense exercise in brief bursts equals the
outcomes from 45 minutes of continuous cycling in terms of cardio-respiratory
fitness and insulin sensitivity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"This is a very time-efficient workout
strategy," says Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster and
lead author on the study. "Brief bursts of intense exercise are remarkably
effective."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sprint interval training (SIT) compared
remarkably similar to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), as
recommended in public health guidelines. The MICT protocol involved five times
as much exercise and a five-fold greater time commitment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The SIT protocol, which involved three 20-second
'all-out' cycle sprints, included a 2-minute warm-up and 3-minute cool down,
and two minutes of easy cycling for recovery between the hard sprints. The MIT
group performed 45 minutes of continuous cycling at a moderate pace, plus the
same warm-up and cool down. After 12 weeks of training, the results were
remarkably similar in the two groups of 27 sedentary men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gibala, who has studied interval training for more
than a decade has experimented with different protocols in an effort to
identify the most time-efficient exercise strategies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The findings are published online in the journal
PLOS ONE.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A study published in 2015 in the Journal of the
American College of Cardiology found that running as little as five minutes a
day gives the same benefits of running or walking for longer periods. Another
study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN)
proved that the health hazards of sitting for long periods can be offset by two
minutes of walking every hour, in combination with 2.5 hours of moderate
exercise each week<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The WHO and the US government recommend 75 minutes
per week of vigorous-intensity activity, such as running.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b>By <a href="http://www.ibtimes.sg/reporters/jayalakshmi-k">Jayalakshmi K</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://www.ibtimes.sg/brief-bursts-intense-exercise-gets-same-health-benefits-long-duration-activity-1218"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ibtimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-19611306695896063562016-05-05T00:02:00.000+03:002016-05-05T00:02:44.371+03:00Singapore - Fine balance needed between ethical, cost-effective healthcare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVQJiWYC_Mu8PBL_QhtHQJca74qdb60h3SBYdDSDY_6WpwSOcrE46yLZ_91UUhxNo7EY3m-io2eN5_5IdrfK-qxghxo2AZuhoyxCQXvZNDcF-0eJH9FW4CThCwPFCxeGbnb1TaR17VCDz/s1600/A4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVQJiWYC_Mu8PBL_QhtHQJca74qdb60h3SBYdDSDY_6WpwSOcrE46yLZ_91UUhxNo7EY3m-io2eN5_5IdrfK-qxghxo2AZuhoyxCQXvZNDcF-0eJH9FW4CThCwPFCxeGbnb1TaR17VCDz/s320/A4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The $11 billion Singapore will spend on
healthcare this year is, per capita, far more than what many of our neighbours
spend, and yet, this will still grow disturbingly higher</b> ("Focus on
cost-effective healthcare"; last Saturday).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is
little corruption on our island, but there is an immense amount of wastage.
Even if clinicians do not bankrupt a country, they can make premiums for
MediShield Life rise to stratospheric levels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sick
naturally want the best medical care that money can buy, and everyone wants
universal healthcare to be available.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet,
almost every patient who consults me feels that healthcare comes at too high a
price.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Such is
the conundrum and self-contradiction health ministries face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems
cruel and unethical, but healthcare, especially high-cost procedures such as
MRIs and CT scans, or drugs that cost upwards of $1,000 a pill, should be rationed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Treatments
in all settings, but particularly in tertiary health institutions, should
ideally be conducted after weighing their cost-effectiveness ratios and the
amount of quality life that they provide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Otherwise,
clinicians would simply be treating for treatment's sake, with increasingly
negative relationships between spending and meaningful outcomes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worse
still, especially in the private sector, investigative or surgical procedures
may benefit doctors more than patients.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few
good examples of cost-effective healthcare policies are measures to decrease
smoking; counselling for caregivers of dementia victims; vaccinations to
prevent flu, pneumonia and some cancers; sustained home nursing following by
short hospitalisation; and even conservative treatment for heart disease and
appendicitis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conversely,
there is little quality added to patients' lives in doing repeated MRIs for the
terminally ill, keeping fatally ill patients alive in intensive care through
respirators, or proceeding with vessel stents and non-essential surgery where
parameters are not met.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have
to avoid going down the slippery slope. A fine balance between what is ethical
and what is cost-effective will take some great and well-thought-through
formulations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yik Keng
Yeong (Dr)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/fine-balance-needed-between-ethical-cost-effective-healthcare"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-75791022191210704852016-05-01T05:36:00.001+03:002016-05-01T05:36:36.206+03:00Singapore - Here's why portfolio workers and contractors are rising faster in Singapore <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kp3FRZlxjNGrVeIEFFGD1NYnDEusJPfrNOAGn-N8NGt90ES_d0PukdxQMWnr5j-RO6Cd4M9reXgZBwBYsHt_nBYaVGAL6Oe4f2EUF2j6-AfLS2tgoERAraiXyy7H2lPcmvTeDLYtW2wH/s1600/A3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kp3FRZlxjNGrVeIEFFGD1NYnDEusJPfrNOAGn-N8NGt90ES_d0PukdxQMWnr5j-RO6Cd4M9reXgZBwBYsHt_nBYaVGAL6Oe4f2EUF2j6-AfLS2tgoERAraiXyy7H2lPcmvTeDLYtW2wH/s320/A3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Against the backdrop of a Ministry of Manpower
(MOM) report which adversely highlighted Singapore's slowing economic growth,
weak investment returns, and negative employment market prospects, lies a
bigger problem – that work-related stress is still Singapore's number one
silent killer.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While MOM
tries to alleviate growing fears, the reality is that many businesses will
either cease to exist, downsize, or relocate elsewhere in the coming years.
Reassurances from MOM to help those displaced re-enter the employment market is
falling on deaf ears with retrenchment predicted to remain high in PMET sectors
and in companies trying to keep afloat in areas of weak demand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
workforce is unfortunately the real victims who are becoming, if not already,
disenfranchised, marginalised, disillusioned, and reaching burnout. For
Singaporeans trying to hedge their bets and prepare for the inevitable, it has
created in its wake a new talent market trend of giggers, pluralists, and
portfolio workers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temporary
placements (contractors) are rising faster than permanent hires, lured by
lucrative benefits, flexibility, and mobility. For companies this trend offers
workers who are "fit for purpose," filling a short-term market gap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then
there is FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Endless work events (onsite and offsite)
and social commitments create a sense of guilt, dread, and fear by pushing
already exhausted workers to their limit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While
low-level stress can be productive and motivational in some cases, long-term or
chronic stress is counterproductive and is linked to cardio-vascular disease,
depression, anxiety, and even suicides. Having to balance the daily grind of
job and family responsibilities is taking its toll on millenials.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Research
provided by Regus recently highlighted that stress levels in the Asia Pacific
region are rising with 66% of workers in Hong Kong, 63% in Malaysia, and 55% in
Singapore claiming to be more stressed. In 2013, a JobStreet survey reported
that 60% of respondents in Singapore attributed work-related stress to mental
fatigue, depression, and poor quality of life. While sick leave remains
relatively low, it is inescapable that mental fatigue affects productivity
levels, focus, and quality of work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr. Lim
Boon Leng, a psychiatrist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, recently issued a stark
warning to Singaporeans not to take work-related stress lightly. Referring to
the Asian work ethic and mindset, he highlighted that many Singaporeans define
themselves by their work and find it difficult to unwind outside of the
workplace even while on vacation. Many try to cope with the situation by
working longer hours to catch up with work-related matters which in itself
aggravates the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2014,
the Health Behaviour Surveillance of Singapore (HBSS) by the Health Promotion
Board (HPB) reported that 24% of Singaporeans and permanent residents aged
18-69 reported high stress levels – an increase of 6% from 2012. This has
increased year on year since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is not
surprising that psychologists and healthcare professionals in Singapore are
red-flagging work-related stress. While there was no significant difference by
gender, the survey however highlighted that younger employees were more
stressed than their older colleagues. Can this be indicative of higher stress
levels per se or that older employees take stress in their stride and are less
vocal?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr.
Shyamala Thilagaratnam, Director of the Preventive Health Programmes Division,
said, "One of the practices workplaces can adopt to reduce corporate stress
levels is to distribute stress management resources at team meetings or at
group sessions."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Encouraging
companies to provide platforms such as peer support, helplines, or face-to-face
counseling for employees to talk about their work problems also helps. Doing so
may provide new insights and solutions to problems that they are facing,
alleviating employee stress," she added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr.
Rajeshree Parekh, Asia Pacific Director for Health and Wellness at Towers
Watson, agrees that the mental, physical, and emotional health of the worker
can severely impact the health of the company as well. Dr. Parekh highlighted
that stress is a complex, multi-faceted issue – the cause of which cannot be
attributed to one factor alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Stress
isn't only created in the workplace, it may come from issues at home, health
problems, and financial issues," she said. "But given the amount of
time we spend at work and the pressure this places on us, it has a big
impact."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
identifying workplace stressors, there appears to be disparaging examples cited
by employers and employees. While employers cite declining productivity levels
as the main cause of workplace stress, employees on the other hand cite poor
work-life balance, conflicting job expectations, lack of equipment or technology
to do the job, inadequate staffing, and no down-time as key stressors. (2013
Towers Watson Global Benefits Attitude Survey)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Ultimately
workplace stress is an individual issue. Workers need to build up resilience to
the pressure caused by work through finding healthy ways to manage this. This
may come naturally to some, but to most in the workplace, it is a learnt
ability," added Dr. Parekh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Growing
concerns are also being echoed elsewhere demonstrating that this phenomenon is
not confined to South East Asia alone. In Japan, its Labour Ministry has
officially recognised "Karoshi" (Karo means "overwork"
while shi means "death") and linked it to an increase in
cardio-vascular disease and suicides. In the USA, 44% of its working population
claimed that work-related stress disrupted their sleeping habits to the
detriment of mental and physical health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a
survey by CareerBuilder, many reported that they became less productive, lacked
focus, became depressed, had memory loss, made frequent mistakes at work, and
even dozed off at work. This phenomenon is mirrored in France, China, and
London to the point that many organisations are tackling this issue by
subsidising gym membership for staff, extending lunch breaks, having onsite
holistic therapists, games, and rest areas and a budget for ergonomic workplace
assessments and equipment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps
Singaporeans need to re-frame their mantra from "Live to work" to
"Work to live" and place a higher value on their mental, emotional,
physical, and spiritual health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By
Jennifer Rahman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://sbr.com.sg/hr-education/commentary/are-millenials-heading-towards-burnout-0"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sbr.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-27634174447674134782016-05-01T05:29:00.002+03:002016-05-01T05:29:54.672+03:00Singapore - The Gender Gap In Top Medical Journals: Why More Men Get Top Billing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQl6vhZSCyH0fuxV1lC7W7O6mnpEbXE1AEyQhH9CFl_vfl0MMkvBFm3gBnQaSZJ22Ohv2lA75d6TjEfJSkVJIqXFnICxTcbD1Ulpl2ZRsYg2CAOC9CPkVzx2R0NEtHGNeQ-lrgcXvfPG6/s1600/A2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQl6vhZSCyH0fuxV1lC7W7O6mnpEbXE1AEyQhH9CFl_vfl0MMkvBFm3gBnQaSZJ22Ohv2lA75d6TjEfJSkVJIqXFnICxTcbD1Ulpl2ZRsYg2CAOC9CPkVzx2R0NEtHGNeQ-lrgcXvfPG6/s320/A2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Women are
graduating from medical school in greater numbers than ever before. In 1970,
women made up under 10 percent of graduates. Today, it’s nearly 50 percent.
When it comes to who is getting published in top medical journals, though,
women are behind. Doctors say the gender gap in medical research isn’t just an
academic concern — it has implications for our health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of
us don’t read academic journals for fun. Even fewer of us pay attention to
who’s the first author versus who’s second or third. But if you’ve been to the
movies, you know the names that flash first are hard to ignore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
academia, just like in the movies, name placement matters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s not
just a matter of pride, or not just a matter of ego,” says Dr. Carolyn Lam, a
cardiologist based in Singapore at the National Heart Center and Duke National
University of Singapore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She says
the number of times you nab that “first author” spot on a publication matters
for your job – it affects everything from tenureship to pay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“So this
is our livelihood; it’s important,” she says. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s
why Lam was upset when she heard about new research showing women are
under-represented among first authors in six of the world’s most prestigious
medical journals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr.
Giovani Filardo and Briget da Graca, with Baylor Scott & White Health in
Dallas, co-authored the study that appeared in the journal BMJ. They
investigated the representation of women among the first authors of original
research articles published in the highest-ranked general medical journals over
a period of 20 years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
results show that while the representation of women among first authors was
significantly higher in 2014 than 20 years earlier, the numbers plateaued in
recent years and declined in some journals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s
the thing: authorship matters not just for the researchers who get a pat on the
back at the office. It matters for everyone’s health, especially women’s. Just
like in the movie business, when women are writers or directors, the
protagonists are more likely to be women, in the science world, research shows
that when women are first authors, you’re more likely to see women
participating in studies of new drugs or therapies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same
trickle-down effect applies to animal studies. Those rats, pigs and dogs being
studied in labs are usually male, da Graca says. This isn’t blatant sexism,
researchers say. It’s because male animals have less fluctuation in their
hormones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“That is
a [fair] consideration,” da Graca says. “But when you get to the other end of
it you’re going to give that pharmaceutical agent to women who have
fluctuations in their hormone levels!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other
words, you don’t want to test a drug for multiple sclerosis or HIV exclusively
on men because what works for one half of the population simply might not be
right for the other. And yet, male-only studies continue, and part of the
problem, da Graca says, is that women aren’t leading the research. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finding Time For Research <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it
sexism?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr.
Deborah Diercks, first chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT
Southwestern, says it’s probably not intentional. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
Diercks has bumped up against a glass ceiling in her path to the top. She’s
reminded of that every time she looks at a framed note from her daughter on her
desk. Scribbled between bright bumblebees and flowers, it reads “Mommy, please
stay home. I don’t like it when you go on trips. I love you.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It just
reminds me whenever I go away I need to think about whether it’s worth it,”
Diercks says. “Because I’ve got someone who really wants me to be at home with
her.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diercks
says having kids meant she didn’t have as much time to apply for big funding grants
for research or to conduct the kind of research that could have been published
in top journals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another
concern is bias in the review process. In the top six medical journals,
reviewers know whether the authors of the submissions are men or women, and the
editors making decisions about who gets published are often men. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Da Graca
says it’s hard to know what happens when the editorial boards receive
manuscripts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s
like this big black box you send your manuscript into and hope it comes out the
right end,” she says. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She
believes there may be some unintentional bias, but suspects that there are also
fewer women submitting manuscripts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stepping Up <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gender
bias, intentional or not, is something Dr. Carolyn Lam thinks about often. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just one
in five students in her medical school class in Singapore were women. After
graduation, Lam entered the especially male-dominated field of field of
cardiology. Still, she doesn’t fault the system for the gender gap in first
authors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She
partially blames herself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last
time she was working with two male colleagues on a journal submission they
started talking about whose name should appear first, she stayed silent. Her
name went second. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I
started examining myself a bit, why didn’t I ask to be first author? I began to
realize I’m to blame, too,” she says. “I think that sort of behavior is
pervasive in many, many fields. Some may be surprised that it’s even in
medicine where it may seem cut and dry, but it’s not.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, last
month, when Lam was finishing up another research article, again with two other
men, and the question of authorship came up, she didn’t stay quiet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“My
colleague, whom I totally respect, he wrote himself as first author, our senior
colleague as last, and me as second,” she says. “I was about to shoot of an
email saying ‘OK, as long as our date gets published’ and I caught myself.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She asked
to be first author; her colleague agreed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are
many reasons women aren’t publishing as much as men. Some underestimate
themselves. Some have trouble with funding. Others have family obligations.
Some point to a lack of mentors. Then there’s bias, intentional or not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lam says
it’s important for women step out of the shadows to talk about this. Experts
say that making things more equal in medical journals will make them more equal
in medicine and ultimately our health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Lauren
Silverman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://breakthroughs.kera.org/the-gender-gap-in-top-medical-journals-why-more-men-get-top-billing/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">breakthroughs.kera</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-34164638855095030342016-05-01T05:21:00.000+03:002016-05-01T05:21:41.322+03:00Singapore - $7.5 million to be pumped into liver cancer research<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA44xxvSpf7ekUPn9hZc0rr46GFrsuhxyyMjA1wwuWxAtQydQXTYK_ANLex1mcGgFEuCbN4NM07O0lEG2sxDdl4mM2zlbPIUhvFTfGCHg6ja9gAfb8srXzbhDg_SoIp2WaoN9Fruh6oKP4/s1600/A1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA44xxvSpf7ekUPn9hZc0rr46GFrsuhxyyMjA1wwuWxAtQydQXTYK_ANLex1mcGgFEuCbN4NM07O0lEG2sxDdl4mM2zlbPIUhvFTfGCHg6ja9gAfb8srXzbhDg_SoIp2WaoN9Fruh6oKP4/s320/A1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SINGAPORE
- <b>A Singapore-based team researching the
most common type of liver cancer has been awarded a $7.5 million grant to
continue its studies, it was announced on Wednesday.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Professor
Pierce Chow, a senior consultant surgeon with National Cancer Centre Singapore
(NCCS) is leading a multi-disciplinary team comprising clinicians and
researchers from several institutions to carry out in-depth studies on the
genomics and immunology of liver cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A pilot
study into the most common type of liver cancer, Hepatocellular Carcinoma or
HCC, has found significant heterogeneity within tumours.This means different
parts of the same cancer may have different genetic mutations or produce
different immune response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
explains why current approaches to drug development in HCC have not been
fruitful, according to Professor Pierce Chow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The team
has been awarded a $7.5 million grant under the TCR Flagship Programme grant by
Singapore's National Medical Research Council (NMRC).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its
research will involve five centres from Singapore and the region and start in
the third quarter of this year. The study will be conducted using tumour
samples from 100 patients.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
effort could enable doctors to predict the outcome of therapies and help them
select appropriate treatments, said Prof Chow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Through
this translational clinical research, we hope to find an answer to the shortage
of efficacious therapies and the challenges of bringing precision medicine to
patients with HCC," said Prof Chow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The team
aims to create customised therapies for individual liver cancer patients within
the next five years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
Singapore, 500 new liver cancer patients are diagnosed each year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is the
fourth most common cancer among men in Singapore. Between 2010 and 2014, 2,254
men were diagnosed with it. It is less common in women and is not within the
top 10 cancers in women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Between
2010 and 2014, 2,516 people died from this form of cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/authors/samantha-boh">Samantha Boh</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/75-million-to-be-pumped-into-liver-cancer-research"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-87915305923733506282016-04-30T23:24:00.000+03:002016-04-30T23:24:26.077+03:00Singapore - Make health screening compulsory and free under MediShield Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtybwX2V8ckMYygZtwQW-UAIyioDRrKvp00IbX0EyaRV3uayCsX_Oyb2jbNZL-q2jSxN876wSeTS8DhWETch_jCQFZukb04NeLDiBV3E6m1SeRJG03lw8f1BdQAb767xU0m3No8GgQbCA/s1600/A6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtybwX2V8ckMYygZtwQW-UAIyioDRrKvp00IbX0EyaRV3uayCsX_Oyb2jbNZL-q2jSxN876wSeTS8DhWETch_jCQFZukb04NeLDiBV3E6m1SeRJG03lw8f1BdQAb767xU0m3No8GgQbCA/s320/A6.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MediShield Life should go beyond covering
patients for hospital treatment, to covering them for health screening. Early treatment,
after all, can help lower hospital bills.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
launch of MediShield Life last year was a major milestone in healthcare for
Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With it,
for the first time, every Singaporean and permanent resident is assured
insurance coverage to protect them against large hospital bills, from the time
they are born till the day they die. This is especially crucial for people suffering
from chronic ailments that require lifetime care, such as heart or kidney
failure, and certain cancers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Ministry of Health (MOH) must be applauded for taking this major step. But it
should not stop there. By underwriting the major healthcare cost of everyone,
it is certainly in MediShield Life's interest to keep people as healthy as
possible for as long as possible, as this is the only way to ensure that
healthcare bills remain manageable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
time for MOH to consider making health screening compulsory within the
MediShield Life framework. This is one good way to control rising hospital
bills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Already,
the Life Insurance Association says that in recent years, claims for B1 and A
class wards have increased by 12 per cent a year while those for private
hospitals have risen by 17 per cent a year. Higher claims inevitably lead to
higher premiums that everyone will have to pay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many
studies have shown how proven health screening can catch diseases early, and as
a result, reduce treatment costs as well as suffering by the patient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
where MediShield Life can come in - since it is the one that will bear a large
part of the cost of treatment. It should make it compulsory for people to
screen for certain diseases at certain ages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Screening,
for example, can dramatically reduce the incidence of some cancers. This not
just results in better lives for the patients, but also significantly reduces
the cost of healthcare treatment to the nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE CASE
FOR MANDATORY SCREENING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
why, in the United States, most health plans must offer preventive services
such as vaccinations and screening tests, at no additional cost to the insured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Insurers
there know that it is to their benefit to pay for such screening as it will
reduce the amount they would need to pay out if the disease is caught late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The US
National Cancer Institute says 59 per cent of adults aged 50 to 75 have
screened for colorectal cancer according to its guidelines. Cases of colon
cancer there have fallen from 51 to 37 per 100,000 people from 2003 to 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If polyps
in the colon and rectum are discovered and removed, they do not become
cancerous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While
treatment for this cancer has improved tremendously, preventing it is always
better. Today, this is the most common cancer in Singapore, with close to 2,000
people diagnosed a year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other
cancers with high screening rates in the US include cervical and breast, and
deaths from these cancers have also gone down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the
actual cost effectiveness of national screening varies because such costs will
take into account not just the cost of treatment, but also loss of working
years, there is no doubt about the benefits in terms of human suffering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
why countries push for certain diseases to be screened. Not all diseases can be
screened for. But where such screening is effective and available - such as for
diabetes - they can go a long way in curbing rising incidence and healthcare
costs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why make
screening mandatory, when there are already heavily subsidised ones, you may
ask.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
true that Singapore already has national screening programmes that are heavily
subsided or even free. For some, Medisave can be used. Yet the take-up rate
remains low.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a
result, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told Parliamentearlier this month that a
third of diabetics here do not even know they have the disease.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diabetes
is a terrible disease, largely because it is silent till things go wrong - and
when that happens, it can affect many parts of the body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
Singapore, diabetes is the top cause of kidney failure - the number of people
on dialysis more than doubled from 2,764 in 2000 to 5,912 in 2014, and the
number continues to rise every year. It is also one of the top causes of
blindness and results in at least two amputations a day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make
things worse, Singapore has one of the highest rates of diabetes among
developed countries, second only to the US.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
that's just diabetes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Based on
national healthcare surveys by the MOH, one in four people here with
hypertension and almost half of those with high cholesterol levels don't know
they have these conditions. Both are major risk factors in heart disease and
stroke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being
unaware, they do not take steps to prevent their conditions from becoming
severe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
bottom line is that screening tools exist that can alert people in the early
stages of a disease, be it diabetes, cancer or cardiovascular disease. Whatever
the reason - fear, ignorance, apathy - the fact is that people aren't making
use of them, even when screening programmes are free or heavily subsidised.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, of
course, people can find out they have a disease and still not do anything about
it. Mr Gan shared that of the people who know that they have diabetes, one in
three have poor control over their blood sugar levels. But the first step is to
make sure that people know that they have, or are heading towards, a serious
medical condition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the
only way to do that here, it appears, is to make such screening tests
compulsory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would
be best if these tests are provided free of charge. There are many studies that
show it is far cheaper to screen and to catch a disease early, rather than not
screen and to pay for treatment later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">US
insurers - hard-headed businesses - obviously believe this to be true as they
provide selected free vaccinations and health screening to their policyholders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
offering free screening tests alone will not be enough, as there will always be
people who would rather not know, or find it too much of a hassle since they
are not feeling sick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
MediShield Life should impose a penalty on people who refuse to screen - such
as adding a loading to their annual premiums which will remain in place until
they get screened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There
will, of course, be exceptions, such as people who have already been diagnosed
with the disease. It no longer makes sense for them to screen, and it would be
unfair to penalise them for having the disease. Those who screen under private
schemes can simply get their doctor to let MediShield Life know that the test
has been done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
prevent concern that people would be disadvantaged if their insurance company
or employer finds out they have serious medical conditions, the results of the
tests should remain confidential between doctor and patient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MediShield
Life only needs to know that the test has been done and the patient informed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WHAT TO
SCREEN FOR<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exactly
what diseases MediShield Life should screen for and when they should be done,
can be determined by a panel of medical experts, drawing from the ample pool of
studies available.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will
be tedious work but not rocket science to suss out which screening might be
cost-effective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For
example, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes together account for
almost half the years of illness suffered by people here. Today, Singaporean
men live about nine years with poor health, and women, almost 11 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The idea
is to ensure that people discover such conditions early, so that they are able
to nip them in the bud, or get their condition treated so it does not become a
major problem that will result in high hospital bills. Early treatment can also
spare them suffering for weeks, months or years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It would
be a massive boon - to individuals and potentially to the Budget - if the
number of unhealthy years can be reduced through health screening and early
care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/authors/salma-khalik">Salma Khalik</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/make-health-screening-compulsory-and-free-under-medishield-life"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-16605495907517722982016-04-30T14:03:00.000+03:002016-04-30T14:03:39.124+03:00Singapore - Listen up and heed that deaf knell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-UF43IY2O9SmoEfCNqfIY6cTOPp4ZVNqCL4BchX7txHmGp_zQgL-9VImGztev1WJGQuyLc_qSGa6eRzmEj-tfRMiFuT2-jBsJdybhACBlY0dRlFwde38vc2GNTlkXrPTYBRh2wsgfAzc/s1600/A2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-UF43IY2O9SmoEfCNqfIY6cTOPp4ZVNqCL4BchX7txHmGp_zQgL-9VImGztev1WJGQuyLc_qSGa6eRzmEj-tfRMiFuT2-jBsJdybhACBlY0dRlFwde38vc2GNTlkXrPTYBRh2wsgfAzc/s320/A2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Constantly being plugged into listening devices
one of the reasons for noise-induced hearing loss among youth<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting
diagnosed with hearing loss when he was 22 was the last thing he expected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leon, now
25, thought it was something which happened to the elderly. He was wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He had
been experiencing a ringing in his ears (tinnitus) on and off since his late
teens. But after playing the bass guitar at a concert in Toronto, Canada, in
2012, the ringing did not stop. At first, he thought it was just like his
previous bouts of temporary tinnitus and would go away after about an hour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It did
not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consulting
an ear, nose and throat surgeon when he returned to Singapore, he found he had noise-induced
hearing loss, which was irreversible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This type
of hearing loss is usually caused by exposure to excessively loud sounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leon's
ringing in the ear is now always present in the background. He has learnt to
tune it out most of the time. "The only time I really notice it is when I
am sleeping," said the recent graduate of Nanyang Technological University
(NTU).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As he
sleeps on his side, the ringing in the ear that is on the pillow is even louder
because the pillow blocks out external noise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A recent
survey of 375 university students aged 18 to 25 showed that one in three young
people in Singapore is at high risk of getting noise-induced hearing loss,
based on their listening habits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These
include listening to music above the recommended safe volume of 85 decibels or
60 per cent of the maximum volume, and attending clubs or concerts at least
once a week, where volumes can easily go beyond 100 decibels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
survey, done by a group of final-year NTU students in December and January,
also found that almost all the respondents (96 per cent) were unaware of
noise-induced hearing loss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even more
alarmingly, close to one-quarter of them had experienced hearing-related
problems before, the most common being a ringing in the ear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young
people visiting clubs or attending concerts may not know the damage they are
causing to their hearing, said Ms Catherine Chew, 22, one of four students
involved in the survey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
final-year student at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
noted that nine in 10 interviewees said they had experienced some ringing in
their ears after leaving clubs or concerts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, in a
separate interview based on the survey's key findings, eight out of 10 said
they did not take any precautionary measures such as wearing ear plugs or
taking breaks by leaving a noisy venue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because
everyone does it, people believe it is the norm to expose themselves to such
dangerous levels of noise for hours, said Ms Chew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All said
they would listen to music during their commute using portable music devices,
and seven out of 10 are plugged in while studying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Noise-induced
hearing loss is an under-recognised issue among youth," said Dr Yuen Heng
Wai, senior consultant in the department of otolaryngology at Changi General
Hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the
condition takes a significant number of years, depending on the length and
intensity of exposure, to develop, so those who frequented loud clubs or
concerts in their youth may not seek medical help that soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We
are not expecting people to come with the condition in their teenage
years," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But he
has been seeing a trend of more younger people visiting his clinic. Over the
past three to five years, there has been roughly a 10 per cent increase in such
patients year on year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two
most common causes of noise-induced hearing loss among his patients are
occupation-related, followed by use of personal listening devices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Yuen
predicts that the availability of personal listening devices will cause an
increase in noise-induced hearing loss among youth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Many
of them do not think that they are susceptible," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take Ms
Amanda Ling, who was 19 when she noticed that the usually temporary ringing in
her ears was not going away. She was then a music major at Lasalle College of
the Arts and was practising a couple of hours a day on the drums, timpani and
marimba.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"My
hearing loss is entirely noise induced," said Ms Ling, now 31 and still
hearing that ringing in her ears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She also
figured that playing in her first band, Throb, which she joined in 2003, could
have contributed to the damaged hair cells in her ears as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"But
when you are young, you think you can take over the world, you don't think that
you could be vulnerable to this," said Ms Ling, who is also a yoga teacher
and DJ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People
with noise-induced hearing loss have difficulty hearing high-frequency sounds
like the chirping of certain birds or the ticking of the clock, said Dr Barrie
Tan, director of the Centre for Hearing & Ear Implant at the Singapore
General Hospital (SGH).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is
because such hearing loss usually adversely affects the high-frequency portions
of the cochlear (inner ear) rather than the low-frequency portions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some
patients tell of not being able to hear the reverse sensors of cars, or the
whistling of kettles, which may have an impact on safety, said Dr Tan, who is
also head and senior consultant in the department of otolaryngology at SGH.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
department sees 10 to 20 cases of noise-induced hearing loss a month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These
patients also may not hear parts of certain words clearly, like the
"f", "sh" and "th" consonant sounds and end up
having to ask for sentences to be repeated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most
people with hearing loss will find that noisy places are the hardest to listen
in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That
would be a good early sign of hearing loss, said Dr Tan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They may
also raise the volume of electronic devices at home so as to hear better, and
these would include the TV and sound systems, often to the displeasure of
family members, who complain that the volume is too loud, he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since
being diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss, things have changed for Leon
and Ms Ling. Their listening habits are different now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leon does
not listen to music as loudly as before and he has stopped playing gigs. Also,
if he is in a noisy bar, he would go outside every half an hour or so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms Ling
uses a special set of ear phones for jamming sessions, rehearsals and gigs
which lets her control the volume. She also limits her headphone usage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I
wish I was more aware of safe listening habits when I was younger. I would have
used ear plugs when jamming," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Note</u>: <i>The survey was part of a final-year project campaign called "Down
the Sound" by NTU students. It aims to raise awareness of recreational
noise-induced hearing loss among young people and to keep it at bay by
advocating safe-listening habits. Go to www.downthesound.com for more
information.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/authors/ng-wan-ching">Ng Wan Ching</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/listen-up-and-heed-that-deaf-knell"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-49988817589089160732016-04-29T13:45:00.000+03:002016-04-29T13:45:11.647+03:00Singapore - Workforce stress remains top health risk concern among S'pore employers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAuFlar7tsC6GGEcssxFFcVDRFiZUAB963U-BjycajoxhuJTt_aij75Kx7zfnroFDxVXHuk5SrInOYYQ76APioMOTeHWdQ4-VorBgCpLzZbrHzgWX66Fulh5-61p0dR3y24RFHBPWyhCz/s1600/A2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAuFlar7tsC6GGEcssxFFcVDRFiZUAB963U-BjycajoxhuJTt_aij75Kx7zfnroFDxVXHuk5SrInOYYQ76APioMOTeHWdQ4-VorBgCpLzZbrHzgWX66Fulh5-61p0dR3y24RFHBPWyhCz/s1600/A2.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The absence of personalisation and a lack of
measurement are limiting the true value of the health and productivity
programmes of Singapore employers, according to the Willis Towers Watson’s
2015/2016 Global Staying Work survey. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recognising
that health and productivity are core organisational components, 44% of
employers in Singapore are offering a variety of tactical health programmes
such as worksite diet/exercise activities, biometric screenings and on-site
health clinics. By implementing such offerings, employers are hoping to boost
programme engagement (according to 80% of those surveyed) and improve
productivity (74%), health/risk awareness (69%) and safety (69%), according to
survey results.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
Willis Towers Watson found that the current programmes are providing only
limited boosts to employee engagement and effectiveness. This is because,
alarmingly, the impact of such programmes is not being measured, with just 6%
of Singaporean companies doing so on an ongoing basis (compared to 39% in the
U.S. and 22% globally).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Furthermore,
employers in Singapore are also lagging behind their global counterparts in
driving a relevant and holistic H&P approach built around analytics, with
0% of local companies surveyed admitting to doing so versus 10% of global
firms. Consequently, it is not surprising to see stress remain the number one
health risk factor for employees in Singapore, with the latest survey results
also echoing the findings of Willis Towers Watson’s previous 2013/2014 Global
Staying Work survey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holistic view<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For
companies to increase their chances of success, they must view health and
productivity holistically, and offer customised and interconnected programmes
that have the same overall goal,” said Dr. Rajeshree Parekh, Director of Health
and Corporate Wellness for Asia and Australasia at Willis Towers Watson.
“Implementing programmes that don’t align with an overarching strategy will
have limited results in changing long-term employee behaviour.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apart
from Singaporean companies identifying stress as the number-one health issue,
lack of physical activity, lack of sleep and obesity are also leading health
risks, reflecting Singapore’s
high-pressure working environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s
important for employers to recognise that many of the employee health issues
are inter-related,” said Dr. Parekh. “For example, research shows that
insufficient physical activity, poor nutrition and inadequate sleep are
strongly linked with obesity and stress. This linkage is another reason why
employers’ efforts to address issues on an individual basis could fail to
improve employees’ health and wellbeing, and why holistic, strategic approaches
are vital.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Positively,
local companies are now realising and recognising the need for a more strategic
approach, with 67% of organisations in Singapore planning to differentiate
their programmes for specific segments through the use of data and analytics in
the next three years – significantly higher than their regional counterparts
(35%).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lack of personalized approach<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
Singapore, many employees are communicating with employers regularly, but very
few are doing so with a personalised approach. Almost 70% of employers in
Singapore are providing regular communication that encourages employee safety
and well-being. However, only 9% of employers are using consumer marketing
techniques – such as segmentation based on health behaviours and/or spending
patterns – to develop customised and targeted communication strategies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The study
also revealed that employers are increasingly using technology to help
employees pursue healthier lifestyles. In Singapore, employers are promoting
healthy workplace culture through dedicated portals to deliver health
information (30%), providing online tools that are available at work and at
home (30%), as well as implementing formal technology strategies to support
health and well-being goals (26%).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Furthermore,
more Singapore employers are looking to offer choice and flexibility for
employee and dependent health care contributions, premiums and enrolment. In
addition to offering more health programmes, employers in Singapore are also
looking at providing employees greater choice and flexibility in terms of
voluntary benefits and services, plan designs and employee contributions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.enterpriseinnovation.net/article/workforce-stress-still-top-health-risk-concern-among-singapore-employers-691611649"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By
SMBWorld Asia Editors</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-51341687872404756572016-04-29T13:40:00.000+03:002016-04-29T13:40:43.693+03:00Singapore - Healthy-living drive goes online to gather more views<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzW-Tl5grEF1ed7jevvrnpWI2v5okyAU3_Y_K95X-lOGKHbmizSVNlHK-hJYpmFBqdTwdlzfpLY3bL18CsU7XSFwFyufjCXTQf9Rs_SGVaTjEH9Zt2qwEKmVr2ZGtzVn_TVu7kc0bVAqr7/s1600/A1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzW-Tl5grEF1ed7jevvrnpWI2v5okyAU3_Y_K95X-lOGKHbmizSVNlHK-hJYpmFBqdTwdlzfpLY3bL18CsU7XSFwFyufjCXTQf9Rs_SGVaTjEH9Zt2qwEKmVr2ZGtzVn_TVu7kc0bVAqr7/s320/A1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To get the public's views on how to promote
healthy living among the young, an eight-week-long online consultation was
launched yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
part of overall engagement efforts by the inter-agency NurtureSG taskforce
announced last month, which aims to improve the health of Singapore's youth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We
understand that if we only have face-to-face focus groups discussions,
definitely some parents won't be able to find the time," said Minister of
State for Health Lam Pin Min, who co-chairs NurtureSG along with Minister of
State for Education and Communications & Information Janil Puthucheary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
online consultation form can be found on the Ministry of Health website, where
the public can also sign up for face-to-face discussions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After
public consultation this year, the taskforce will discuss the findings and
expects to submit recommendations next year. It will focus on areas including
nutrition, exercise, myopia, mental resilience and dental health, said Dr Lam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"But
along the way, during the consultation process, if we see that there are
certain areas that warrant our attention, we will be happy to include those as
well," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was
speaking to reporters at the first face-to-face engagement session at
Anchorvale Community Centre, targeted at parents and caregivers of pre-school
children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Among the
35 participants were Mr Rathina Sabapathy, who works in IT, and his wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We're
mainly concerned about the issue of obesity and dental health," he said,
adding that their three-year-old daughter is healthy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Upcoming
sessions will focus on getting views from parents and caregivers of primary and
secondary school students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides
parents and caregivers, the task force will also work with educators and food
establishments such as school canteen operators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/authors/janice-heng">Janice Heng</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/healthy-living-drive-goes-online-to-gather-more-views"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-17413702399173507212016-04-26T02:44:00.000+03:002016-04-26T02:44:38.584+03:00Singapore - Eight-week online consultation on promoting healthy living among the young kicks off<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh9H-HrrxMVizU7FaCw39rRaacXkvohVZBH2mJqA4VY5XwQkpTfCCiyBvsRwrauYLRYpWPv8t6bCJD9Kc11iWtXgNHclT9rYi011oD0jfbStf0rYwdDKIYplpXThVpXDqnrtF19iM9v4V/s1600/B12.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh9H-HrrxMVizU7FaCw39rRaacXkvohVZBH2mJqA4VY5XwQkpTfCCiyBvsRwrauYLRYpWPv8t6bCJD9Kc11iWtXgNHclT9rYi011oD0jfbStf0rYwdDKIYplpXThVpXDqnrtF19iM9v4V/s1600/B12.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SINGAPORE
- <b>To get the public's views on how to
promote healthy living among the young, an eight-week-long online consultation
was launched on Sunday by the inter-agency NurtureSG taskforce.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
online exercise is part of the taskforce's overall engagement efforts, which
include face-to-face discussions with parents and other stakeholders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chaired
by Minister of State for Health Dr Lam Pin Min and Minister of State for
Education Dr Janil Puthucheary, NurtureSG was announced in March and aims to
improve the health of Singapore's youth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Areas
which the taskforce will focus on include nutrition, exercise, myopia, mental
resilience and dental health, said Dr Lam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was
speaking to reporters at the first face-to-face engagement session at
Anchorvale Community Centre, aimed at parents and caregivers of preschool
children. Some 35 participants attended the closed-door session.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/eight-week-online-consultation-on-promoting-healthy-living-among-the-young-kicks-off"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Straitstimes</span></a>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-90448786252996124572016-04-26T02:08:00.001+03:002016-04-26T02:09:01.110+03:00Singapore - The value of prevention in the war on diabetes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXarhXelHTtkuWGFIsIfeac6Kso5g40uTJc0bVzbSiSYLw5jXfAbyNBwEwpRhJneu8Shiq4_nT8GSkwNiDPvlwciUxa5Pj-E9ygIZdcaZi2ADZxt9K6ONiaff1xPa_XJ7xN1WgL1z9drF/s1600/B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXarhXelHTtkuWGFIsIfeac6Kso5g40uTJc0bVzbSiSYLw5jXfAbyNBwEwpRhJneu8Shiq4_nT8GSkwNiDPvlwciUxa5Pj-E9ygIZdcaZi2ADZxt9K6ONiaff1xPa_XJ7xN1WgL1z9drF/s320/B6.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong recently
declared war on diabetes in Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This
clarion call for government agencies, the private sector and the rest of the
community to go all out to fight the disease is timely and much needed. It also
underscores the Government's intent to invest immense resources in new
initiatives and programmes to fight the disease.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But why
is it necessary to single out diabetes and take such bold, multi-sectoral
action against a single disease?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we
consider the current and projected number of diabetics, the severity of
diabetes-related complications and the enormous costs to both the individual
and country, the rationale becomes clear and self-evident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Singapore
is home to more than 400,000 diabetics today. Estimates suggest that diabetes
will affect almost 670,000 people in 2030, and an alarming one million by 2050
if we do not act now to arrest this trend. This increase is not merely due to
an ageing population. It is also caused by the rapid rise in the proportion of
overweight and obese young adults. In addition, today, there are about 10,000
patients who are suffering from the complications of diabetes. That is expected
to increase to at least 25,000 by 2050.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Diabetes,
with its complications, exerts a staggering toll on the country with increased
healthcare expenditure, loss of productivity and the psycho-social burden on
society. A recent study by the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and
University of Southern California estimated that in 2010, diabetes among the
working population cost Singapore more than $1 billion, and that figure is
likely to exceed $2.5 billion by 2050.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As with
any warfare, a well-planned strategy is crucial. Mr Gan identified five fronts
on which this war would be fought: prevention, screening, control, education
and stakeholders' engagement. What is particularly refreshing about this war
plan is the major shift towards preventing the onset of diabetes and engaging
every stakeholder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the
past, the emphasis was on the treatment of diabetics: treatment protocols,
right siting of patients and the stratification of patients according to risk
of complications. There is strong evidence that good control of blood sugar can
reduce the risk of and delay the onset of complications, including renal
failure, heart attacks, stroke, blindness and lower limb amputations. However,
the risk of complications is increased even among pre-diabetics ,whose blood
glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a clinical
diagnosis of diabetes. Moreover, many diabetics are unaware of their disease.
By the time diabetics enter the healthcare system, they are already at higher
risk of developing the dreaded complications.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prevention
is based on targeting two important risk factors: unhealthy diet and inadequate
exercise. Proper diet and regular exercise play integral roles in reducing or
halting the trend of rising obesity. This is not easy, and we cannot be doing
more of the same: telling and urging individuals to live healthily through the
mass media, campaigns and mass activities that do not lead to sustainable
behavioural change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Behavioural
research has highlighted the importance of macro-level environmental measures
that create "healthy living as a default" or simply, making it easier
for an individual to adopt healthier lifestyles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fortunately,
many of our upcoming national-level developments promote the increase in
physical activity as part of daily living. For instance, the plan to have 85
per cent of residents live within 400m of a park, opening up 900ha of reservoir
area and 100km of water- ways for recreational activities, going
"car-lite" and providing 700km of cycling paths to turn this into a
"walking and cycling" city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A bigger
challenge is diet. Eating is the national pastime. Singaporeans are
conditioned, from a young age, to eat certain types and amounts of food. Many
overeat and eat unhealthily. A high proportion of young adults (aged 18 to 29
years) prefer food items such as sodas, fruit juices and refined carbohydrates,
all of which increase the risks of obesity and diabetes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many
advocate a sugar tax, citing the success of the tobacco tax. However, sugar and
tobacco are rather different commodities. Taxation is generally a blunt
instrument. A tobacco tax is very specific and easier to administer. It is
difficult to administer a sugar tax unless it is restricted to specific items
like sodas. Instead of imposing a sugar tax, efforts could be made to engage
the food and beverage industry more actively and recruit it as an ally that
offers healthier product offerings, advertises responsibly and encourages
healthy eating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Environmental
changes at the macro level must also sync with behavioural changes at the
individual level. Individuals must be empowered to make the right choices at
the point of decision. This is a highly complex area that still requires much
research, especially from the sociological and behavioural perspectives.
However, there are a few obvious touchpoints, with the first being a
broad-based health education targeting the young and the elderly, which takes
into account how both target groups acquire information and form mindsets. The
goal is not for people to increase knowledge but to change attitudes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
second obvious touch point is to promote behavioural change in the workplace.
With employees spending up to one-third of the day at work, the workplace
offers a conducive environment to foster healthier eating habits and lifestyle.
There are overseas examples of workplace-centred diabetes prevention and
management programmes. Locally, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Manpower
launched the Total Workplace Safety and Health to help employers and employees
go beyond a workplace safety culture to a safety and health-promoting culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally,
it is very refreshing that the war is moving beyond hospitals and healthcare to
providing good health - that means nurturing a healthy nation and people. This
paradigm shift will require healthcare workers to move out of their treatment-
and patient-centric comfort zone to a new approach of being prevention- and
population-centric. The six regional health systems will have to be transformed
to being six operators of a single national health system. This war on diabetes
is a great opportunity to further transform the regional health systems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">War has
been declared. We have the armaments. We need to assemble the troops. It will
be a long war but Singapore will succeed. We will not have one million
diabetics, come 2050.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chia Kee
Seng and Benjamin Ng<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prof Chia Kee Seng is the dean and professor of
the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of
Singapore, and Dr Benjamin Ng is the president of the College of Public Health
and Occupational Physicians at the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/the-value-of-prevention-in-the-war-on-diabetes"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-1139836163081346572016-04-26T02:03:00.002+03:002016-04-26T02:04:35.680+03:00Singapore - Tainted durian pastries: Goodwood Park Hotel Bakery suspended<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ro0r1mdyfUb78LjhWJRP6w6q5RTDwQO_4CozaeDcy-BE1P4vGCQunkcH1kyMSwXtD5dKAw7ne9enNsziLAkWwGbYn2onYqrO_o8N4_qeEF-w0V0Bxdm4QyiKA9o2C5mtzzHGFvLYpPO6/s1600/B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ro0r1mdyfUb78LjhWJRP6w6q5RTDwQO_4CozaeDcy-BE1P4vGCQunkcH1kyMSwXtD5dKAw7ne9enNsziLAkWwGbYn2onYqrO_o8N4_qeEF-w0V0Bxdm4QyiKA9o2C5mtzzHGFvLYpPO6/s320/B5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A total of 76 food poisoning cases were
reported. NEA, the Health Ministry and AVA are conducting joint investigations.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SINGAPORE:
Goodwood Park Hotel's bakery, known for its popular durian puffs, has had its
licence suspended following a spate of food poisoning cases between Mar 15 and
Apr 16, the National Environment Agency (NEA), Ministry of Health (MOH), and
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) announced in a joint
press release.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NEA, MOH
and AVA said as of Apr 21, a total of 76 food poisoning cases were reported.
NEA has ordered Goodwood Park Hotel to cease the production, sale and
distribution of all pastries that are prepared by their bakery and to dispose
of all pastries prepared there, with effect from Apr 22 until further notice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NEA has
also told the hotel to clean and sanitise the bakery, including equipment,
utensils, work surfaces and toilets, and review and rectify the lapses in food
preparation processes identified during the joint inspections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG1jujqZOvKGaH2xdtxzGZ6gswp96ZAPCXRCx8LPNKr0FOdvdnDrHxsKUo7JSWwzhBjcgBBEhtdd6REDLeNkF4UKVsPSL-Cpq1rtCUvYIqzlv-YA1nPiCGuGy3xp7gkcrSL1IMcNrxTfg/s1600/B5b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG1jujqZOvKGaH2xdtxzGZ6gswp96ZAPCXRCx8LPNKr0FOdvdnDrHxsKUo7JSWwzhBjcgBBEhtdd6REDLeNkF4UKVsPSL-Cpq1rtCUvYIqzlv-YA1nPiCGuGy3xp7gkcrSL1IMcNrxTfg/s400/B5b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the
first incident was reported on Mar 15, MOH said it immediately initiated
epidemiological investigations and NEA inspected the bakery’s premises the next
day. The Health Ministry stepped up investigations and inspected the bakery’s
premises of Goodwood Park Hotel on Apr 4 after the second incident was
reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Subsequently
on Apr 13, the three agencies conducted joint investigations at Goodwood Park
Hotel when more incidents linked to their durian pastries were reported. MOH’s
investigations found that the consumption of Goodwood Park Hotel durian
pastries was the only common epidemiological link.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
agencies said some lapses in food handling were found at Goodwood Park Hotel’s
durian pastry kitchen of the bakery but the premises were found to be clean
with proper housekeeping and refuse management. No signs of pest activity and
hygiene lapses were detected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AVA said
it has conducted upstream checks at the suppliers of food ingredients supplied
to Goodwood Park Hotel, including durian pulp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So far,
no food safety lapses have been found at the suppliers’ establishments. There
were also no other complaints of food poisoning from other establishments that
used the durian pulp from the same supplier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MOH has
collected stool samples from the affected cases and food handlers, which have
been sent for screening. Only those who are certified medically fit will be
allowed to resume work after medical clearance by MOH, when the suspension is
lifted. All food handlers working in the bakery are also required to re-attend
and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course, before they can resume work as food
handlers. MOH and NEA are monitoring the situation closely, they said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Based on
joint investigation findings, NEA will take the necessary enforcement actions
against the licensee if hygiene infringements are found, it said. Licensed food
operators have the responsibility to put in place systems and processes to
ensure high hygiene standards are observed by their food handlers at all times.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We Take Food Safety Standards "Very
Seriously": Goodwood Park<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a
statement on Facebook, Goodwood Park assured the public and its guests that it
treats all matters related to food safety standards "very seriously".
"We are addressing the food handling lapses in the durian pastry kitchen
highlighted by NEA and aim to rectify them soonest possible," the hotel
management said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Goodwood
Park said the hotel is cooperating closely with the Ministry of Health and NEA
on necessary follow-up actions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Goodwood
Park Hotel has had a good reputation for the past 33 years selling durian
pastries, and we understand this suspension may cause some distress to our
guests. We hope that they will give us a chance to restore their confidence in
our usual high standards of quality of our pastries."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Responding
to queries from Channel NewsAsia, a spokesperson for the hotel said the entire
pastry production team will be sent for a stool test on Saturday. The team will
also be re-attending a basic food hygiene course on Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All
pastries and ingredients used will be discarded, Goodwood Park stated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The
hotel conducted a thorough cleaning and sanitising of the entire pastry
kitchen, utensils and equipment today, and has also identified a contractor
specialising in sanitising and conducting of a bio-decontamination for the
pastry kitchen," said a spokesperson. "The other kitchens were not
affected."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Goodwood
Park said it is in the midst of reaching out to guests hit by food poisoning.
It opened a pop-up stall at the Lot One mall at Chua Chu Kang on Monday, but
closed it on Friday. "Guests who purchased our durian pastries at Lot One
from Apr 18 to 21 are advised to throw them away and contact the hotel for
their refunds," a spokesperson said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/tainted-durian-pastries/2722572.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CNA/ly</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-24954395732845564652016-04-26T01:59:00.000+03:002016-04-26T01:59:47.629+03:00Singapore - Stress still top health risk for S'pore companies: survey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpHoO6T8cWTTBx21hjvvcz6wSkECxM4PJWmj8WRf9FXVsIkrlqL7R9d44JwQGMvKCf6Q7fi__PjAR4RYTpUAsbyEaz0bjBE9XAwZ_jSfdjjXc6UP96aLCqtbJD5vJPs8dh5Ou44st9x4i/s1600/B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpHoO6T8cWTTBx21hjvvcz6wSkECxM4PJWmj8WRf9FXVsIkrlqL7R9d44JwQGMvKCf6Q7fi__PjAR4RYTpUAsbyEaz0bjBE9XAwZ_jSfdjjXc6UP96aLCqtbJD5vJPs8dh5Ou44st9x4i/s320/B4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">STRESS remains the Number One health risk for
companies in Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So says
the Willis Towers Watson's 2015/2016 Global Staying@Work survey, which captures
details on organisations' health and wellbeing strategies and programmes in
their respective local markets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
survey found that 56 per cent of Singaporean employers call workforce stress as
the top health concern, but continue to miss the mark with their health and
productivity (H&P) approach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forty-four
per cent of employers in Singapore offer a variety of tactical health
programmes such as worksite diet/exercise activities, biometric screenings, and
onsite health clinics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
Willis Towers Watson found that the current programmes provide only a limited
boost to employee engagement and effectiveness, because the impact of such
programmes is not being measured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"For
companies to increase their chances of success, they must view health and
productivity holistically, and offer customised and interconnected programmes
that have the same overall goal," said Rajeshree Parekh, director of
health and corporate wellness for Asia and Australasia at Willis Towers Watson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Implementing
programmes that don't align with an overarching strategy will have limited
results in changing long-term employee behaviour," added Dr Parekh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the
positive side, local companies realise and recognise the need for a more
strategic approach, with 67 per cent of organisations in Singapore planning to
differentiate their programmes for specific segments through the use of data
and analytics in the next three years - significantly higher than their
regional counterparts (at 35 per cent).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides
stress, other health issues facing Singapore companies include lack of physical
activity, lack of sleep, and obesity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
survey noted that, to counter these issues, employers are increasingly using
technology to help employees pursue healthier lifestyles; promoting a healthy
workplace culture through dedicated portals to deliver health information;
providing online tools that are available at work and at home; as well as
implementing formal technology strategies to support health and wellbeing
goals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
addition to offering more health programmes, employers in Singapore are also
looking at providing employees greater choice and flexibility in terms of
voluntary benefits and services, work plan design, and employee contributions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Details
of the survey can be found at willistowerswatson.com <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://business.asiaone.com/news/stress-still-top-health-risk-spore-companies-survey"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">business.asiaone</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-1118460118757457092016-04-26T01:40:00.000+03:002016-04-26T01:40:24.614+03:00Singapore - Focus on cost-effective healthcare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8gsoQ-qiITdmsTDEgXwfYDZCtcCp1cnPKquRjO7U2QcAP-9hkjnJJrROH6Uo3aNCMhmY0GO3B0Tz4VdymJ91c23F7aKb8fWpNlHpWAqvJWGOP40hRDqkj3Q78shtuGvmBRCKL8aRJJyT/s1600/B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8gsoQ-qiITdmsTDEgXwfYDZCtcCp1cnPKquRjO7U2QcAP-9hkjnJJrROH6Uo3aNCMhmY0GO3B0Tz4VdymJ91c23F7aKb8fWpNlHpWAqvJWGOP40hRDqkj3Q78shtuGvmBRCKL8aRJJyT/s320/B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Healthcare is a public good that can become
rivalrous in nature when over-consumption leads to long queues for treatment,
stretching over months as seen in various countries. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
health risks are pooled, unbridled costs are eventually passed onto all
citizens in the form of higher premiums for health insurance. These are reasons
enough to scrutinise how healthcare providers and patients are making choices
when a range of options are available, including widely publicised
technological breakthroughs. For example, an expensive new test might promise
to exclude a wider range of risks but is it really worthwhile for all to be
tested when the vast majority will encounter negative results? Such concerns
have led to "choose wisely" campaigns elsewhere to help people avoid
non-critical or duplicate tests and procedures and to reduce potential harm to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Singapore
is keeping abreast of these developments in setting up the Agency for Care
Effectiveness. Healthcare systems must be designed and managed to ensure
cost-effectiveness. It would be not only wasteful but also slow down the
delivery of essential health services if clinical policy decisions are led by
public demands based on perceptions rather than evidence-based assessments.
Universal healthcare would not be sustainable if a system prompts patients to
opt for all that is available with insufficient regard to costs which are not
borne directly by them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At a
basic level, there is a focus on issues ranging from discouraging the
prescription of antibiotics to infants with a fever, to prohibiting CAT scans
for some cancers and appendicitis because they expose patients to unnecessary
and harmful doses of radiation. At a higher level, a degree of scepticism
towards the benefits of expensive new treatment should engender a cost-benefit
mentality among patients and professionals, even among those who are desperate.
That rationality in turn should sharpen national consciousness about the
possibilities and limitations of expensive medical treatment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An estimate that 30 per cent of total healthcare
expenditure in America goes towards unneeded care is a warning of the danger of
good intentions that produce unintendedly wasteful consequences. Here, the
Government has more than doubled its healthcare spending - from $4.7 billion in
FY2012 to $11 billion this year. While this spending is necessary, it must not
create a runaway culture of consumption that is not only fiscally difficult to
sustain but is also medically unsound. It is important, therefore, to educate
the public to help them make more informed decisions on treatment. The
demographic need for this awareness is highlighted by the fact that rising
longevity has also lengthened the years of ill health facing both men and
women. Rising healthcare costs would drain the resources of seniors.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/st-editorial/focus-on-cost-effective-healthcare"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">straitstimes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-5111503456414578802016-04-24T05:29:00.000+03:002016-04-24T05:30:07.769+03:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-eCbUL6S_5nePKYPkdfYdT1nh-PQpGzXUsvvYqcGOZOiXvSfuCwAte0MMY3qGiKf3-DOcPUQWHuIPhdkjdldXPpMPNPacLNPb-HqyUZI6zIX65-a1x4pE1PSt0SbQJ0bQIsS7Ji31NVx/s1600/B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-eCbUL6S_5nePKYPkdfYdT1nh-PQpGzXUsvvYqcGOZOiXvSfuCwAte0MMY3qGiKf3-DOcPUQWHuIPhdkjdldXPpMPNPacLNPb-HqyUZI6zIX65-a1x4pE1PSt0SbQJ0bQIsS7Ji31NVx/s320/B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Science sector will trigger increase in related
jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
latest Hays Quarterly Report has found demand for talent in the life sciences
sector will be strong and competitive in Singapore. Manufacturing capacity is
growing in Asia at a quicker pace than other parts of the world, resulting in
an increased number of pharmaceutical and healthcare plants setting up in
Singapore. Singapore’s strategic location makes it an ideal regional hub, and
new set-ups are in dire need of the technological know-how that is crucial to
their success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“This has
led to companies sending local talent abroad to facilitate technology transfer
between headquarters and Asia,” says Lynne Roeder, managing director for Hays
in Singapore. “Tech-transfer experts with the right skills to speed up
research, technology and processes are highly sought after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Local
talent remains a preference of employers for their knowledge in local
regulations and processes as well as employee stability,” Lynne continues.
“Those with technical expertise and excellent soft skills are able to command a
premium as companies seek commercial-minded talent with strong technical
backgrounds.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The life
sciences support industries, including medical instruments and laboratories,
are also growing in tandem with the pharmaceutical industry. Hays expect to see
a higher need for technical specialists who are customer-focused to drive
deeper relationships between the support and life sciences industries. As
Singapore invests heavily in healthcare, there will also be more hospitals open
or undergoing upgrading and planning. This in turn will fuel the competition
for talent in the medical and healthcare instrument businesses. In terms of
candidate trends, Hays says that life sciences professionals are now more open
to job changes post-bonus season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Many
candidates are willing to work at upcoming new plants for the career
progression opportunities they provide,” says Lynne. “Some candidates will
accept lower salaries to join new projects as newly established firms and
plants offer them the full spectrum of exposure in research development and
operations management.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“It will
continue to be a candidate-short market given the keen interest from investors
in the life sciences sector,” Lynne adds. “It is imperative for firms to secure
the right talent from the start to ensure excellent knowledge transfer and lay
the foundations for future succession plans and growth.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.theglobalrecruiter.com/news/science-sector-will-trigger-increase-in-related-jobs/7307"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">theglobalrecruiter</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-54558682739874792182016-04-22T12:18:00.000+03:002016-04-22T12:18:45.798+03:00Singapore - How Singapore can win the war against diabetes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RcT8EIDLOigGVefIFnSRBYXpGVR1g2ouGhk0DSBdS0pKaN8odN84sy4_FYFXwOb57l5f2706pqfO6nuXLFwD1Ipk-5LQReE7DkCpccpidjA83elD8s-srS8-ZkDGMhfvW62lSORa0LqJ/s1600/B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RcT8EIDLOigGVefIFnSRBYXpGVR1g2ouGhk0DSBdS0pKaN8odN84sy4_FYFXwOb57l5f2706pqfO6nuXLFwD1Ipk-5LQReE7DkCpccpidjA83elD8s-srS8-ZkDGMhfvW62lSORa0LqJ/s320/B3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I am declaring war
on diabetes” was Health Minister Gan Kim Yong’s bold declaration in Parliament
last week. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Warning Singaporeans of the worsening scourge of diabetes,
Mr Gan emphasised the need to take decisive action. The statistics are sobering
— four amputations every day due to diabetes, two in three kidney failure cases
attributable to diabetes and if unchecked, one million Singaporeans afflicted
by the year 2050.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Globally, the situation is equally grim. The World Health
Organization reports that the number of adults with diabetes has quadrupled
since 1980, with more than 420 million diabetics today. In America, the annual
costs of treating diabetes has crossed the US$100 billion (S$134 billion) mark
and is on track to triple in the next two decades.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this is not any ordinary war. This is a war with
ourselves, a war with the way we eat, with the way we live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have created a world where it is all too easy to eat
badly, to overeat and be sedentary. Mr Gan articulated this crisply when he
focused the “war” on “shifting mindsets and changing habits”. How should
Singapore fight this war? Albert Einstein is said to have described insanity as
“doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We cannot fight this war with more of the same — we need
new weapons and new thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Advances in technology and new insights into behavioural
change are probably the most potent weapons we can harness in this war. These
weapons were not available or sufficiently matured even a decade ago and their
inclusion now is, thus, very timely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technology allows us to fundamentally change how we deliver
care for diabetics and promote health to everyone else. The power of “Big Data”
and the “Internet of Things” together allow patients to be remotely monitored
and engaged in much more inexpensive ways. The analogy in consumer services
would be how Alibaba or Amazon build up profiles of users which they then use
with great success to encourage purchases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of blunt dualities categorising patients as having
“well-controlled” or “poorly-controlled” disease, we can much more finely
segment patients by their health status, social habits and motivators,
customise the advice and interventions to achieve correspondingly higher
adherence rates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On applying more adroitly behavioural sciences, there is so
much to be done. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Charles Duhigg in
the book The Power of Habit describes a simple neurological loop at the core of
every habit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The loop consists of three parts: A cue, a routine and a
reward which satisfies a craving. Mr Duhigg describes how P&G’s Febreze — a
commercial flop when launched as an odour-killing product — became a
billion-dollar blockbuster when a pleasant smell was added and Febreze was
rebranded as the “finishing touch” to cleaning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Placing this into the “cue, routine, reward” loop, we can
see how Febreze positions well. Seeing a messy home is the “cue”, cleaning is
the “routine”, and the pleasant smell the “reward”. The craving is for the
smell, which signals that cleaning is complete and a “reward” is due. In
healthcare, how do we create a similar sequence?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cue might be a daily alert at 8pm informing one of the
number of steps walked thus far which triggers a routine, eg walking a mile
with the reward being a congratulatory message from one’s physician or coach
and, perhaps, even a voucher for fresh fruits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CAN SINGAPORE SET An EXAMPLE FOR THE WORLD?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tools aside, the economics for patients and healthcare
providers have to make sense and the government will have its work cut out to
shift the entire health and healthcare financing systems. We need to move away
from a predominantly “fee-for-service” model where doctors are paid more when
more “sick care” services are provided, to one which incentivises wellness and
healthy living.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tax policies will also be important in sending the right
signals about lifestyle choices and encourage appropriate behaviours. The
science exists today to enable “nudging” patients and citizens into the right
mindset and habits, but without a favourable financing and payment system,
change will be slow and reluctant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, it is encouraging that the Diabetes Prevention and
Care Taskforce being set up to lead the war against diabetes will be
multi-sectoral. Coming back again to Einstein, a quote commonly attributed to
him goes: “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that
created it”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the composition of the task force has not been
announced, it would be ideal if it includes a good mix of leading digital
health start-up founders and independent, innovative thinkers from sectors that
have enjoyed success in shaping public perception and behaviour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No country in the world has won the “war against diabetes”.
Most are actually losing. If Singapore can turn the tide against diabetes, it
would set the country as a shining beacon amid a gloomy landscape strewn with
failed efforts and worsening disease burdens. Singapore’s model can then become
the example for the world, and that might be the greatest contribution our
“Little Red Dot” can make to humankind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Jeremy Lim<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Jeremy Lim is head
of the health and life sciences practice for the Asia-Pacific for Oliver Wyman,
the global consultancy. He is the author of Myth Or Magic: The Singapore
Healthcare System.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.todayonline.com/daily-focus/health/how-singapore-can-win-war-against-diabetes"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">todayonline</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-52475623405296113262016-04-16T22:28:00.001+03:002016-04-16T22:28:18.672+03:00Singapore - Singapore’s Lawsuit-Happy Lee Family<a href="http://pinterest.com/docvn/"><img alt="Follow Me on Pinterest" src="http://passets-cdn.pinterest.com/images/about/buttons/follow-me-on-pinterest-button.png" height="28" width="169" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsAf93COlGX053WWOhA-TK91bCt4goE5-jzlSAsr9oUzV2PTEOxU9DfQOYJJk-MGBbQnsCvvmV5Z6S3mvIlIhYawKDrcvzDtljgasTImYui2DTShmFazHeyoYffL-H1HJiR92BpM0b9ZP/s1600/B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsAf93COlGX053WWOhA-TK91bCt4goE5-jzlSAsr9oUzV2PTEOxU9DfQOYJJk-MGBbQnsCvvmV5Z6S3mvIlIhYawKDrcvzDtljgasTImYui2DTShmFazHeyoYffL-H1HJiR92BpM0b9ZP/s320/B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Current
embarrassing family squabble points up amazing litigiousness<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The current squabble going on in Singapore between the
children of patriarch Lee Kuan Yew, who died last April, is yet another
indication, if any were needed, of the extraordinary litigiousness of the Lee
family, which now seems to be caught in its own embarrassments, and which
included a marathon pursuit of a British neurologist which may have been the
only case the family has lost.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The case wasn’t adjudicated in Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Three times in the previous decade, Lee and his son,
current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, sued for defamation over insinuations
they were building a dynasty in Singapore. In 2005, the Lees and former Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong took after the International Herald Tribune and
columnist Philip Bowring (disclaimer: Asia Sentinel co-founder and contributing
editor) for an article which said: “Dynastic politics is evident in ‘Communist’
China already, as in Singapore” and won S$950,000 in damages.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2010 the parent New York Times Co. settled out of
court over a second story by Bowring which asked, “Are political dynasties good
or bad?” and collected another S$160, 000. The second story never mentioned the
word nepotism in connection with the two Lees. In 2007, the Financial Times set
a new standard in apologizing for an article in which there appeared to be no
libel. The article merely listed the names of Lee family members in high
positions in the island nation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now Lee Hsien Loong is being asked in Facebook
postings and other platforms if he is going to sue his own sister for making
similar charges. The prime minister is under attack by the neurosurgeon Lee Wei
Ling, who has publicly accused Hsien Loong of having “no qualms abusing his
power to [have] a commemoration just one year after LKY died.” She continued:
“If the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not
allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonorable son.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An obviously ruffled Hsien Loong took to Facebook
himself to say the accusations “are completely untrue” and to say the
government is a strict meritocracy. Wei Ling also charged that when she
submitted an op-ed piece objecting to “hero worship” of the elder Lee to the
Straits Times, which remains uniquely supine to government wishes, the editors
cut it so severely that she withdrew it and announced she would never write for
the paper again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hsien Loong’s wife, Ho Ching, the chief executive
officer of the Temasek Holdings sovereign investment fund, then posted a
picture of an angry howler monkey on Twitter, then hastily withdrew it, saying
she had made a mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wei Ling riposted by making public correspondence with
the Straits Times editor that included her accusation that Hsien Loong was out
to build a dynasty, which was also later withdrawn from Facebook.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition, Lee Wei Ling and Lee’s younger son Lee
Hsien Yang last year asked the courts to restrict all rights to the Lee estate
for interviews given to the Singapore Oral History Department between July 1981
and July 1982. They are also seeking to restrict access to use or provide
copies of the transcripts until five years after his death, according to a
filing in the Singapore High Court.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using the island’s tame courts, the Lee family has
sued a wide array of international publications for a wide variety of reasons
including nepotism and other issues. Besides the New York Times and the
now-defunct International Herald Tribune, they include the Wall Street Journal,
the Asian Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, the Economist, Asiaweek and the
Far Eastern Economic Review, now both out of business.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The one time the family has been thwarted in suits
took place outside of the county, in the UK, when Lee Mei Ling, with the
government’s help, pursued a prominent English neurologist and expert on
epilepsy named Simon Shorvon, in a protracted suit in which the Singapore
Medical Council alleged Shorvon was guilty of professional misconduct.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a written decision handed down in January of 2007
(decision here), the British High Court effectively ended Singapore’s pursuit
of Shorvon, the former principal investigator of a medical research project in
Singapore. Using a combination of tax
holidays and other incentives, Singapore sought to attract some of the world’s
major pharmaceutical companies and distinguished researchers to conduct basic
drug research and development. Some 30 companies responded.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Among those the government lured was Shorvon to head
Singapore’s National Neurology Institute in 2001 to conduct a wide-ranging joint
research project with the University College, London, into the ravages of
Parkinson’s disease. According to the findings of the UK High Court, Shorvon
was “a highly accredited and world-renowned researcher in this field” when he
was appointed principal lead investigator. Shorvon set out to conduct the study
with Lee Wei Ling, who would later resign.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ultimately, the project collapsed in 2002 in a storm
of controversy when the neurology institute, urged on by Lee Wei Ling, brought
30 charges against Shorvon alleging patients had been recruited to take part
without the knowledge or consent of their treating physicians and without the
patients’ fully informed consent. It was also charged that Shorvon or
researchers under his supervision had altered patients’ medication without
their knowledge or the consent of their physicians.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After months of controversy, in 2003 a Singapore panel
recruited by the Neurological Institute held an inquiry and reported that “the
research was carried out in serious breach of ethical guidelines which are
applicable in Singapore as well as internationally.” Patients’ rights were said to have been
disregarded and their safety and wellbeing were compromised, the panel found.
Also, patients’ records were allegedly disclosed without their consent,
according to the panel, and no ethics approval had been obtained for testing a
Parkinson’s drug called Levo-Dopa.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shorvon contended that he had never been shown the
inquiry’s terms of reference or the specific allegations against him. He said
he was given no advance disclosure of documents and was asked to comment on
them without notice. Nor, he said, was
he given a chance to respond to the inquiry’s allegations before they were
pronounced. He never saw the report until after it had been signed, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although he later signed a letter stating he accepted
the report and its conclusions, he said he did so under threat of being
reported to the police and, he told the UK High Court, that he would not be
permitted to leave Singapore, “as by then he was most anxious to do so, unless
he signed such a letter.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shorvon signed and left. He was succeeded as director of the
Neurological Institute by the Lee Wei Ling. But that wasn’t the end of it. An
inquiry committee of Singapore’s Ministry of Health issued its own report in
March 2003 that contained no personal censure of Shorvon – only to have
individual members of the committee two months later issue a supplemental
letter that did criticize him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The whole matter was later referred to the Singapore
Medical Council for another round of inquiry. Shorvon refused to participate,
partly on advice of counsel that the medical council had no jurisdiction and
also, according to the High Court in the UK, because “by now Professor Shorvon
had, rightly or wrongly, come to the view, given his experiences, that he was
not going to receive a fair hearing in Singapore and that the result was a
foregone conclusion.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A subsequent Singapore medical council hearing
predictably concluded that Shorvon had failed to safeguard the best interests
and health of his patients and had exposed them to unnecessary risk. The
council demanded that Shorvon’s name be removed from the register of medical
practitioners in the UK, that he be censured and that he pay costs, which he did
under protest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That got the General Medical Council, the UK
equivalent of the Singapore Medical Council, involved. The UK medical council screened the Singapore
proceedings and documents and referred the case to a professional conduct
committee. Ultimately, the GMC concluded it was not in a position to prove
Shorvon was guilty of misconduct and in 2005 it told the Singapore council it
was cancelling the proceedings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Singapore found that unacceptable and appealed it to
the British High Court, where Queen’s Counsel – the very elite of the British
legal profession – hired by Singapore charged that they were there to “stop
Professor Shorvon from getting away with it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adrian Williams, a professor of clinical neurology at
the University of Birmingham called as an independent witness for the general
medical council, said he would not dispute what he called “the clear-cut facts
of the case,” but said the alleged offenses were so minor that they weren’t
worth bothering with.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For his part, Shorvon issued a statement saying that
“This judgment removes an unjustified slur on my reputation. I am delighted. I
hope that now I can be left in peace to pursue my research.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/singapore-lawsuit-happy-lee-family/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">asiasentinel</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256463640549091995.post-68789533326128454952016-04-16T07:22:00.002+03:002016-04-16T07:22:52.211+03:00Singapore - How a robust network infrastructure enhances healthcare standards<a href="http://pinterest.com/docvn/"><img alt="Follow Me on Pinterest" src="http://passets-cdn.pinterest.com/images/about/buttons/follow-me-on-pinterest-button.png" height="28" width="169" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HNaSwEQsfWzbNKXZqAH_QFqjVezhEnYaXn08dqG27DYBqPzb-2I4UFJmL8_0Gi1dcy9PxkAq5LphNbRHleSFCsXZ0qfExQMdi9YhKcXSeMF9oqQy_6DzMbnxFAHixWWlaC4BpEXOwHmH/s1600/B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HNaSwEQsfWzbNKXZqAH_QFqjVezhEnYaXn08dqG27DYBqPzb-2I4UFJmL8_0Gi1dcy9PxkAq5LphNbRHleSFCsXZ0qfExQMdi9YhKcXSeMF9oqQy_6DzMbnxFAHixWWlaC4BpEXOwHmH/s1600/B2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
Singapore General Hospital recently reported a Hepatitis C outbreak, affecting
22 patients. While the possible cause of the outbreak has yet to be determined,
this recent scare provides a strong indication of what could go wrong in a
hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Healthcare institutes are one of the most complex
environments, with numerous players working together to co-create the patient
experience. Each player, whether doctors, nurses, pharmacists or front line
staff must function seamlessly as a singular, well-oiled machine to deliver
efficient and quality service – a hallmark of world class healthcare standards.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unsurprisingly, studies have shown that the failure to
communicate is a significant factor of adverse clinical events and outcomes.
The incredibly large amount of interactions taking place every day, each with
different dimensions of complexity leaves a very small margin for error. Even
the slightest miscommunication can result in devastating consequences. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Simplify
the flow of background information<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To minimize communication errors, healthcare
institutes should consider investing in a customized business communications
solution that is secure and always available. This system should be able to
establish a secure audio, Web or High Definition video conference with anyone
from any telephone or multiple video endpoint devices, any location, and any
browser for spontaneous collaboration. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With a clear, reliable and secure means of
communicating and collaborating, medical and admin staff alike will spend less
time battling a spotty network connection, or even be saved a physical trip
down the corridor to pass information. All this time saved means that staff, be
it doctors or nurses will have on average more time to look into the needs of
the patient. Lives may even be saved, such as when a pharmacist catches a lapse
in a prescription and is able to contact the doctor in real-time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Control
communications in real-time<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The healthcare sector has evolved to embrace mobility.
Medical personnel are is now empowered to administer telemedicine, to ‘see’
patients through video calls, or seamlessly share and pull outpatient
information via a secured database. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, security remains a major cause for concern in
the area of healthcare with the proliferation of mobile devices and Bring Your
Own Device (BYOD) policies. IDC predicts that by the end of 2015, 50 percent of
healthcare organizations would have experienced 1 to 4 cyber-attacks in the
year, with 1 in 3 ending up successful. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As such, it is important that healthcare institutes
invest in solid network security to ensure that patient data is protected, even
while keeping it available to those who rely on it. Healthcare providers can
look for Local Area Network (LAN) solutions that give them centralized visibility
and control over the wireless network, preventing unauthorized access to
staff-only networks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A
healthy network makes for healthier patients<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Healthcare institutes often underestimate the
importance of a reliable and efficient network infrastructure – a critical
backbone to healthcare operations. As healthcare institutes make the migration
from paper to digital, more needs to be done to ensure that information systems
remain secure, and new clinical information tools are easy to use. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A poorly implemented system would mean that healthcare
professionals will spend more time troubleshooting or worse still, fall back to
the traditional way of manual reports. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The promise of connected healthcare is not far. Farrer
Park Hospital in Singapore, for example, has taken steps to embrace a connected
network infrastructure that will serve as a platform for quality patient care
into the long term. The hospital enables videos of operations to be broadcast
in real-time on the hospital network. This helps with telemedicine and
training. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 220 bedded facilities, officially opened in March
2016, have the latest state of the art equipment and technology. Together with
a connected network infrastructure, the seamless flow of information enables
those who need the information, receives it in real time. This efficiency leads
to improved patient outcomes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Death by medical errors is, unfortunately, plaguing
hospitals even into the 21st Century, and are symptomatic of miscommunication.
To counter this, healthcare institutes should consider the possibilities of
connected healthcare to enhance the way their medical staff communicates on a
day-to-day basis, and ultimately create a world-class patient experience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the amount of time and resources saved from
navigating clumsy backend systems, healthcare professionals will be able to
invest their time in the people that matter most – patients.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ernest Lee<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.enterpriseinnovation.net/article/how-robust-network-infrastructure-enhances-healthcare-standards-1043238454"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">enterpriseinnovation</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Christian Siodmakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13216908031190477585noreply@blogger.com0Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.8441055 103.174389 1.8600605 104.46528300000001