Category Archives: Global Medical Alert
C-section baby boom as parents rush to give birth before Lunar New Year
Doctors in Hong Kong and Singapore are witnessing a “baby boom” as pregnant women rush to give birth by caesarean section ahead of the Lunar New Year.
The trend – as parents try to give their children an auspicious start in life or to avoid being stuck in hospital during the holidays – has prompted insurance companies to double their fees or even halt some maternity policies.
Tradition dictates, according to some fortune tellers, that babies born in the Year of the Horse are more vigorous than those born in the Year of the Goat, which begins on Thursday. Well-known Hong Kong fortune teller Mak Ling-ling said some parents were keen to have their babies early in order for their “luckier” offspring to collect lai see – cash gifts given over Lunar New Year – from their relatives. READ MORE HERE >
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1714249/c-section-baby-boom-ahead-ofthe-holidays
Poor diabetes care costing lives
Poor diabetes care in England is leading to avoidable deaths, record rates of complications and huge costs to the NHS, a charity is warning.
Diabetes UK says the disease is the fastest growing health threat of our times and current care models are not working to get on top of the problem.
The NHS spends a tenth of its budget on diabetes, but most goes on managing complications not preventing them.
The government says it is focusing on early intervention.
Long and healthy life
Diabetes is a chronic condition and, if poorly managed, can lead to devastating complications, including blindness, amputations, kidney failure, stroke and early death.
Best-practice guidelines say patients should get regular checks to ensure they are controlling their condition well enough to avoid future complications.
SOURCE BBC News
ALC Health commences new global claims service
1st January saw the launch of our new global claims handling service for both new and renewing customers.
With dedicated medical 24/7 service centres in the UK, New Zealand and Singapore, you will enjoy unmatched service and support no matter where in the world you may be living, working or travelling.
Many of the world’s leading brands including Panasonic, Shell, Jaguar Land Rover, Inchcape, CNN, Oxfam and the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office already trust Healix International to manage their international medical insurance claims and now you will be able to benefit from this exceptional VIP service and support.
Responding to over 450,000 calls for medical assistance each year and managing claims in over 190 countries worldwide, ALC Health’s new claims service ensures you receive the very best care – day or night.
If you would like to know more, contact ALC Heath and we’ll tell you more about our award winning iPMI products and services.
ALC Health CEO awarded MBE in New Year Honours List
Sarah Jewell, founder and Chief Executive Officer of International Medical Insurance provider ALC Health has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in The Queen’s New Year Honours list in recognition of her services to entrepreneurship in the Medical Health Industry.
Ms. Jewell commented. “This was an unexpected but a great honour. Having been involved in the medical insurance industry for over 20 years, I have been privileged to meet and work with some quite amazing people whose support and guidance has played a great part in the success that I have enjoyed”.
For further press information contact Andrew Apps at andrew.apps@alchealth.com or telephone +44 (0)1903 817970
New Ebola test approved
A new Ebola test named LightMix Ebola Zaire rRT-PCR, made by the company Roche, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and can generate results in three hours. The current test called RT-PCR, which stands for reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, takes six hours. LightMix testing has not been approved for general use yet.
SOURCE : Healix International
When five a day may not be good for you
For years we have been told that a glass (150ml) of unsweetened fruit juice counts as one of our recommended ‘five a day’, however this advice can be confusing as many fruit juices contain more than 6 teaspoons of sugar. Even smoothies can be deceiving and when fruit is juiced or blended, sugars are released which may lead to tooth decay as well as weight gain.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has now issued guidelines recommending that we cut the limit by half, and that sugars should make up no more than 5% of our daily calorie intake.
Public Health England advise that we should limit our fruit juice consumption to the recommended limit of 150ml a day. They also advise that to help reduce tooth decay, fruit juices should be consumed alongside meals and, for children, fruit juices should be seen as an occasional treat.
Fruit juice should no longer be considered a routine drink and for hydration purposes water is always the better option.
Ebola update : Guinea now “stable”.
More than 5,400 people have now died as a result of the Ebola outbreak with Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia the worst hit, however the World Health Organisation has reported that for Guinea at least, the outbreak is now “stable”.
There remain a few areas particularly in the South East of the country where flare ups continue to be reported but elsewhere conditions are starting to improve.
Scientists win another battle in the fight against Polio
Scientists are celebrating a milestone in the global fight against polio with the news that the second of the three known strains of poliovirus now appears to have been eliminated after mass vaccination campaigns.
Wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999 and type 3 hasn’t been seen in over two years. However, the news comes as polio type 1 cases in Pakistan are rising, and new cases are reported in South Sudan and Madagascar.
Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious virus which causes paralysis in one out of 200 cases. It commonly targets young children and can cause death when the muscles which aid breathing stop working.
Chikungunya virus rife in Jamaica and now affecting other Caribbean Islands
The mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus, already rampant in Jamaica, has spread to the Cayman Islands and other parts of the Caribbean.
The Caribbean Public Health Agency’s latest report, dated October 20, states that there were 59 confirmed cases of chikungunya in Jamaica, but medical professionals are saying that the prevalence of the virus is hugely under-reported.
Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. Whilst it is rarely fatal for adults, the infection can cause death in infants, people with weakened immune systems, and vulnerable older people. The virus causes fever and severe joint pain and other symptoms can include: muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.