Treatment

 

By using the IoT to solve the healthcare puzzle

Posted on Leave a comment

Footprint Africa Business Solutions (FABS) moves from IoT development into healthcare by creating Doc-in-a-box and brings a plethora of medical tools and technologies for those living and working in rural areas.

There is a way to catch the challenges on the African continent in a web of innovation and ingenuity. It doesn’t involve extensive expense or investment in fresh and shiny technology either. Often, the best solution is one that takes what’s already in play and uses it in a different way. This is precisely what Footprint Africa Business Solutions (FABS) has done with their Doc-in-a-Box.

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Medical Aid or just send your Name, surname, age and email address to 082 738 5586

IoT solutions that change the lives of people

“We moved our
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

A New class of drug could reduce cardiovascular risk

Posted on Leave a comment

A new class of drugs has the potential of reducing cardiovascular risk by targeting a specific microbial pathway in the gut.

Unlike antibiotics, which non-specifically kill gut bacteria and can lead to adverse side effects and resistance, the new class of compounds prevents microbes from making a harmful molecule linked to heart disease without killing the microbes, which are part of the gut flora and may be beneficial to overall health.

In the study in mice, the new drugs reversed two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease – increased platelet responsiveness and excessive clot formation – by lowering levels of TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide), a gut bacteria byproduct that forms during digestion.

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Medical Aid or just send your Name, surname, age and email address to 082
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

North West News:- Clinics close and medicine runs out as state owes millions

Posted on Leave a comment

Mafikeng Provincial Hospital is running on skeleton staff and two clinics in the North West province have closed their doors because of a lack of security. Moreover, a failure to pay service providers has left many other health facilities without security and in short supply of drugs.

Some health workers are refusing to work in the absence of security guards after contracted security companies recently withdrew their services from hospitals and clinics across the province.

Earlier this week, nurses stormed out and refused to work in some wards with without guards present. Later, one administrative staff member reported seeing three midwives left to oversee 48 women in labour.

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Medical Aid or just send your Name, surname, age and email address to 082 738 5586

Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

The firm Cipla South Africa grows national footprint with Mirren acquisition

Posted on Leave a comment

Cipla Medpro South Africa (Pty) Limited (“Cipla Medpro”), wholly owned subsidiary of Cipla Limited, India (“Cipla”), and South Africa’s fourth-largest pharmaceutical company in the private sector, has announced its plans to acquire a 100% stake in Mirren (Pty) Limited (“Mirren”).

Mirren is a South African over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor, which has been in operation for 35 years. The transaction is subject to the approval by the Competition Commission of South Africa.

Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla South Africa, said that once approved, the transaction will enhance Cipla’s current OTC portfolio, by adding Mirren’s well-established brands such as Broncol cough syrup, Coryx, Tensopyn, and Ultimag. This deal will also increase Cipla’s local manufacturing footprint.

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

What happens when disaster strikes

Posted on Leave a comment

There are a lot of scary threats in the world – extreme weather, terrorist attacks, deadly infectious diseases, mass shootings – but if healthcare organisations plan ahead for such disasters, lives can be saved.

The first step for health care organisations preparing for emergencies is to accurately assess the kinds of hazards they may face, such as flooding, power outages, or violence, emergency preparedness expert, Paul Biddinger said at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health as part of the Hot Topics summer lecture series.

In 2005, Biddinger and colleagues learned from consultants from Israel—who’d dealt with bombings that resulted in mass casualties—that the average time from when a bomb goes off until the first person reaches the closest emergency department is four minutes. Experts from other places that had dealt with bombings, including London, Madrid, and Mumbai, confirmed that events unfold incredibly quickly during a disaster.

Realising that
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

Diarrhoea Outbreak:- Tests underway to find cause

Posted on Leave a comment

The Mpumalanga Provincial Government has called on members of the public, who suspect that they may have diarrhoea, to visit their nearest health facility.

This comes as the provincial government tries to contain a diarrhoea outbreak in the Ehlanzeni region.

“To date, over 1,300 cases of diarrhoea have been reported in health facilities, especially within Mbombela Municipality. The provincial government is further encouraging citizens to go to the nearest health facility immediately if they suspect that they are experiencing diarrhoea, which is mainly in the form of passing loose stools, feeling nauseas and vomiting as well as feeling stomach cramps,” said the spokesperson of Mpumalanga Premier, Zibonele Mncwango.

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Medical Aid or just send your Name, surname, age and email address to Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

A first for South Africa:- Biosimilar oncology drug authorised for use

Posted on Leave a comment

Cipla, South Africa’s third-largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, in collaboration with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, has announced the launch of the country’s first biosimilar for the oncology and haematology markets.

Filgrastim Teva, manufactured by Teva and distributed in South Africa by Cipla, paves the way for more affordable treatments to aid in the fight against dread diseases such as cancer, according to Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla South Africa.

“This landmark development for the South African pharmaceutical industry only happened after a thorough approval process. Not only does the approval of Filgrastim Teva hold major significance for the advancement of affordable supportive oncology treatments, but the learnings from this process will assist in faster approvals for more biosimilar medicines in future.”

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

Hot Medical News:- Hi-tech lung cancer lab to benefit all

Posted on Leave a comment

If the country is to reduce its high cancer statistics, the public would have to be educated about the illness and preventative measures taken, says Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa.

Ramokgopa was speaking at the launch of the state-of-the-art Lung Laboratory at the Helen Joseph Hospital, in Johannesburg.
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

Just how competitive is South Africa’s private healthcare sector?

Posted on Leave a comment

After a four and a half year probe initiated by South Africa’s Competition Commission, a panel of independent experts released their preliminary report into the country’s private healthcare market.

The Conversation Africa spoke to Sharon Fonn, who was on the panel of experts, about the report.

Why was a market inquiry set up?

The inquiry was set up because private healthcare and medical scheme cover is expensive in South Africa. Costs continue to rise and fewer people can afford it. People who have health insurance find that the scheme covers less care and they often have to pay out of pocket.
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

3D printing disruption, medical implant sector ripe

Posted on Leave a comment

Medical technology which is often expensive at the time of market entry becomes cheaper over time. But 3D printing in medicine has started to revolutionise the field, especially with its rapidly declining costs and increased accessibility of the technology.

It is the technology that makes it more cost-effective. Although considerably costlier than existing implant solutions, the precision of end-product is what ensures the success of the 3D-printed medical devices. Because its designed from the thoroughly analysed digital model, 3D implants leave no room for error as compared to the traditional techniques which usually require additional processing adding waste and extraction costs.

With enhanced precision, 3D printed orthopedic and dental implants, including those that are difficult-to-treat have witnessed an impressive success rate in the past half of the decade. In line with this, a Fact.MR market study has estimated sales of medical implant segment to reach o
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

Valsartan, cardiovascular medication recalled in SA

Posted on Leave a comment

Certain medicines containing the active pharmaceutical ingredient, valsartan, have been recalled by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) due to an impurity that was found at one of the manufacturing facilities in China that produces the molecule.

The molecule was recalled across several international markets including the USA and Europe as many originator and generic suppliers source valsartan from the same manufacturer.

The presence of the impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), could be linked to changes in the way the active substance was manufactured, but a thorough investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause. The NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen (carcinogen is any substance that when exposed to living tissue may cause the production of causing cancer) based on the results from laboratory tests, Sahpra said.

It stated that it will continue to investigate and assess whether the impurity may p
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

A new Prostate treatment byproduct could accelerate cancer cell growth

Posted on Leave a comment

New research out of the United States points to a genetic anomaly in certain men with prostate cancer, which may impact their response to common drugs used to treat the disease.

Researchers found that abiraterone, a common prostate cancer drug, yields high levels of a testosterone-like byproduct in men with advanced disease who have a specific genetic variant.

The study’s lead researcher, Dr Nima Sharifi, who is based at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, previously discovered that men with aggressive prostate cancer who have a specific variant in the HSD3B1 gene have poorer outcomes than patients without the variant. HSD3B1 encodes an enzyme that allows cancer cells to use adrenal androgens for fuel. This enzyme is overactive in patients with the variant HSD3B1(1245C).

Sharifi and his team in the Department of Cancer Biology, including first author, Dr Mohammad Alyamani, found that men with the genetic anomaly metabolise abiraterone differently
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

These are the cheapest and most expensive medical aids in South Africa

Posted on Leave a comment

The latest GTC (formerly Grant Thornton Capital) Medical Aid Survey for 2018 has been released, which compares local medical aid schemes on cost to members across various levels of cover.

South Africa’s medical aid industry is facing an uncertain time ahead with government recently pushing through two new healthcare bills that are set to shake up the entire system ahead of the launch of the National Healthcare Insurance (NHI) scheme.

According to GTC, there are still many lingering questions that need to be answered in term of government’s plans – with many risks in the proposed changes that could lead to higher costs for consumers who rely of private healthcare.

“The NHI and amendments to the Medical Schemes Bill are inevitable. The disparity between the have’s (some eight million members) and the have-not’s (some 45 million) is real and needs addressing. Government intervention is urgently required,” it said.

“It is however equally importa
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

Poor health services are holding back UHC – Universal Health Coverage

Posted on Leave a comment

Inaccurate diagnosis, medication errors, inappropriate or unnecessary treatment, inadequate or unsafe clinical facilities or practices, or providers who lack training prevail in countries of all income levels.

This poor quality health services are holding back progress on improving health, according to a new joint report by the OECD, World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank.

The situation is worst in low and middle-income countries where 10% of hospitalised patients can expect to acquire an infection during their stay, as compared to 7% in high income countries. This is despite hospital acquired infections being easily avoided through better hygiene, improved infection control practices and appropriate use of antimicrobials.. At the same time, one in 10 patients is harmed during medical treatment in high income countries.

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!

 
 

Making vaccines ubiquitous is the key to cracking the cold chain challenge

Posted on Leave a comment

Over the years vaccines have prevented countless cases of disease and saved millions of lives. Infectious diseases like polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), smallpox, mumps, tetanus and rotavirus used to be common around the world. Today vaccines can prevent them.

Despite this, one in five children in the world aren’t fully protected by even the most basic vaccines. In addition, almost 20 million are at risk of contracting preventable diseases because they are under-vaccinated. As a result about 1.5 million children die every year from diseases that can be prevented by vaccination coverage.

One of the main reasons is that there are many rural areas in the world that don’t have reliable power supplies. Vaccines need to be kept at particular temperatures, usually refrigerated, to remain effective. Cold chain conditions aren’t possible without power. A cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain that runs fr
Continue reading…

Share with friends on Social Media (if share buttons do not show below, disable your ad blocker temporarily):

Enjoyed this post? Share it!