Health

 

New gene editing technique could treat ALS and Huntington’s.

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A team of researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new RNA-oriented gene editing technique which could treat hereditary diseases such as ALS and Huntington’s. The team used a method called RNA-targeting CAS9 (RCas9) to track RNA in live cells and correct “molecular mistakes” which lead to diseases…
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Attack on doctors at public hospitals in South Africa sparks security concerns

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The South African Medical Association (Sama), and its Eastern Cape branch, has condemned the lack of proper security at public hospitals in the province after a doctor was assaulted by a patient. Dr Archie Solombela sustained a fracture to his right arm and a general worker was also hurt during the attack by a psyciatric..
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Do Artificial Sweeteners Raise Odds for Obesity?

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Artificial sweeteners may be less helpful than many believe in helping people lose weight and avoid health problems associated with extra pounds, a new evidence review suggests. Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and other artificial sweeteners did not lead to any significant weight loss in more than 1,000 participants in seven clinical trials, said lead researcher Meghan..
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Doctors Sound Alarm That SA Mental Healthcare Is Collapsing

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While almost all the previous Life Esidimeni psychiatric patients have been transferred from the NGOs in Gauteng back into hospitals, a group of doctors have warned that the psychiatric structure in South Africa is collapsing. Reports reveal that in some mental health hospitals there are no psychiatrists, and none of the provinces have organised community-based..
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Black experts in the health sector: Where are they?

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Whether it is a story looking at the latest HIV policies or the best way to deliver a baby, I rely on the expertise of health professionals to help me to get my facts right. But in my year as a health reporter, I have been alarmed by one particular aspect of these interactions: the..
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Experts decry plan to consolidate small medical schemes !!

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The plan by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) to consolidate or dissolve small medical schemes posed risks to the people who belong to these schemes and might force some to drop their cover, industry sources warned this week. More than 228,000 people belonged to 31 medical schemes that had fewer than 6,000 members at..
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Ground Breaking operation: Youngest child in Africa gets mechanical heart

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A five-year-old KwaZulu-Natal boy made history when he became the youngest person in Africa to receive a mechanical heart implantation. In what is considered a ground breaking operation doctors from the Maboneng Heart Institute‚ at the Netcare Sunninghill Hospital‚ inserted a heart ventricular assist device (HVAD) into Mnotho Mndebele’s “severely damaged” heart which helps it..
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The Real Truth: Antidepressants Actually Deplete These 3 Crucial Nutrients for the Brain !!

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Antidepressants are one of the most prescribed medications out there. One in six Americans takes antidepressants or other psychiatric medications, most of them (84.3%) on a long-term basis. (1) This is especially concerning when using addictive drugs like Valium and Xanax. (2) That number is more than double what it was in 1999. Many who..
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OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY: Five years for careless doctor

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Emalahleni gynaecologist Danie van der Walt was sentenced to five years in jail for culpable homicide after one of his patients died after giving birth. He had earlier been found guilty of gross negligence. Witbank magistrate Merlene Greyvenstein said Van der Walt had failed to do everything a specialist of his calibre should have done..
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Health MEC ‘putting band aid on gaping wound of oncology crisis’

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The DA in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday renewed its call for Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo to be fired, saying it appears he is “trying to put a band aid on a large gaping wound” in respect of the province’s oncology crisis. The DA had been advised by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) that Dhlomo..
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NHI white paper issues raised – National Health Insurance

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The two fundamental issues with the new white paper on National Health Insurance (NHI) are a single payer fund and the nationalisation of private healthcare without compensation. Single payer fund In terms of the single payer fund, the white paper believes that the NHI can use bulk purchasing power to drive down the price of..
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US scientists successfully change embryo DNA

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A team of US researchers has changed the DNA of single-cell embryos using gene-editing technique CRISPR, according to a report from MIT Technology Review. This is the first known attempt at creating genetically-modified human embryos in the US. None of the embryos were allowed to develop beyond a few days, but the scientists have demonstrated..
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How will private healthcare evolve under Universal Health Coverage (UHC)?

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With National Health Insurance, the Competition Commission investigation and sky-rocketing costs, it’s no wonder that the private healthcare sector (and the public sector for that matter) is a tad wary about what the future holds. However, in which ever way, shape or form it manifests itself, universal health coverage (UHC) is inevitable. It forms part..
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National laboratory workers strike after negotiations stall, provinces fail to pay

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The nationwide industrial action is expected to last at least until Friday and could affect patients living with conditions such as cancer and HIV. Workers from the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) will embark on a national strike on Wednesday after last-minute wage negotiations stalled. NHLS managers met officials from the National Education, Health and..
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Syndicates and devious health professionals may target National Health Insurance

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Criminal networks are targeting your medical aid rands but could you be part of the problem too? Criminal syndicates and unscrupulous doctors may be defrauding the private health sector of millions as experts warn that medical schemes may reach a breaking point. “The health care sector is being targeted by criminal syndicates and even devious..
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