Cosmedicare founder and managing director Gill Baird aims to have her new cosmetic surgery hospital in Livingston open by next summer after securing planning permission.

St Ellen’s Hospital will be housed in a 12,443 sq.ft. single storey pavilion building on the Kirkton Campus.

Ms Baird (pictured), who currently runs the business from the Gyle in Edinburgh, said: “These proposals herald a new era of healthcare provision.

“We work with the top surgeons and consultants in the private sector and NHS to deliver the highest standards of medical practice with enhanced technology.”

Cosmedicare worked with Cormack Gracie Architects and was represented by Burness Paul and BJM Accountants with Ryden managing the lease arrangements.  Work is scheduled to commence next month.

The post Go-ahead for Cosmedicare cosmetic surgery hospital appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

The MGM Healthcare Hospital launched Cochlear Implant Programme after the completion of a successful bilateral cochlear implantation surgery performed on a child.

CHENNAI: The MGM Healthcare Hospital launched Cochlear Implant Programme after the completion of a successful bilateral cochlear implantation surgery performed on a child. The child was diagnosed with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder and had trouble with communication after birth.

The nerve of hearing was then stimulated audiological inputs by constant use of the bilateral use of programmable hearing aids for a few years with little improvement, a press release from the hospital said.
The child then went through multiple audiological tests which showed signs of stagnation.

The family then approached the MGM Healthcare Hospital, where doctors discovered that only a cochlear implant could help. The child was implanted hearing device, Cochlear profile 632 perimodiolar slim wireless Kanso 2 speech processor, which was launched recently, the release added.

The wireless sound processor (off the ear) is functional under water and has bluetooth connectivity and can be programmed with rechargeable batteries, the release said. The child has recovered well.

The post Cochlear Implant Programme launched at MGM hospital appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Early intervention and primary care are crucial for managing HIV. Not receiving this care can lead to health complications and costly hospital visits for people infected with HIV, a new study found.

The study, published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, analyzed the health records of 2063 people infected with HIV who received care at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, from October 2014 to October 2015.

“A small number of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) with mental health, addiction and social challenges (eg homelessness) don’t engage in outpatient HIV care and end up really sick and needing a lot of expensive hospital care,” Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, MB, MRCP, PhD, associate professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin and consultant physician at St. James’s Hospital, told Contagion^®. “We could potentially save a lot of money by helping these people take their ART and maintain their health.”

Investigators found that 22 of 2063 patients had cumulative hospital stays of longer than 30 days during the study period. These high-cost, high-need users logged 99 emergency department visits and 1581 inpatient bed days, costing the hospital about $1 million during the study period. For 18 of those patients, the requirements that brought them to the hospital were potentially preventable, including 2 who had a late diagnosis of HIV and 16 who had advanced HIV.

“The amount of money (nearly 1 million euro on just 1 year’s worth of hospital care) was much more than we expected,” Ní Cheallaigh told Contagion^®. “This money could potentially have been used more effectively in preventing these people becoming sick—ie by providing them with housing, social supports and addiction care.”

In Ireland, HIV care and antiretroviral drugs are provided free of charge at university teaching hospitals like St. James’s, with primary care provided by general practitioners working as independent contractors. General practitioner care is provided free for individuals with low income.

Barriers to relatively inexpensive primary care, including addiction, psychiatric disease and homelessness, affected 14 of 16 patients in the study who were not successfully engaged in care.

“It’s important to look at how well everyone can use healthcare systems – some people may find it challenging and may end up with a lot of potentially preventable illness (and costs),” Ní Cheallaigh told Contagion^®.

During the study period, 208 of 2063 patients had one or more unscheduled inpatient admissions. The 22 who had more than 30 days of cumulative hospital stays accounted for 1581 of 3380 HIV-related bed days (47%). Patients who had not been successfully engaged in HIV care showed consequences including organ failure, cancer and infection.

“We hope to look at alternative models of care (eg assertive outreach models of integrated health and social care) to see if these work better at keeping this type of patient healthier,” Ní Cheallaigh told Contagion^®.

Recent efforts to combat HIV have focused on early intervention and retention in care. In the United States, it is estimated that 85% of people living with HIV have been diagnosed, 62% have received medical care, and 48% have been retained in care. A recent study examined rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy, finding that starting ART on the day of a diagnosis or at the first appointment is safe, well tolerated, leads to earlier viral suppression, and may increase retention in care.

Another study looked at the benefits of linking incarcerated people with HIV care upon release from jail. These patients often have barriers to care such as mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness. Implementing programs with transitional care coordinators responsible for patient engagement and education could reengage individuals lost to care and link diagnosed people to treatment.

The post Missing Early Intervention Leads to Costly Hospital Stays for Patients With HIV appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

SAMBALPUR: 

The body of an HIV-positive patient was left abandoned for over 12 hours at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Odisha’s Sambalpur district.

The hospital staff was reportedly fearing infection from touching the body.

“After the patient’s death, we informed the police as he was destitute. Police should have taken the body and kept it in their custody for 72 hours for any of his relatives to claim it. We also called a meeting to enquire about the matter,” VIMSAR Superintendent Jaysree Dora said on Monday.

According to Ms Dora, the patient came to the hospital with a serious eye condition and was given initial treatment but he died on Sunday.

“We are enquiring about any negligence that might have taken place and how long the body was left on the bed and not shifted. But, at the same, it was the responsibility of the police and not of the hospital authorities to look for the destitute patient’s relatives,” she said.

The body was later shifted to the mortuary at the hospital.

The post Odisha Hospital Staff Didn’t Touch HIV-Positive Man’s Body For 12 Hours appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Egyptians have reacted furiously after images of an AIDS patient being violently dragged out of a hospital in the town of Kafr El-Zayat, 110 kilometres north of Cairo, spread on social media.

Pictures and video circulated showed an unidentified man being carried out of the hospital on Tuesday by two members of staff, who held his arms and legs.

Hospital staff said that the patient was a drug addict, who refused to go to a nearby military “fever hospital” when instructed to by doctors. News that an AIDS patient was present caused panic among the other patients, who feared they may become infected, staff alleged.

The HIV virus which causes AIDS is very difficult to transmit, and infection usually takes place only through sexual contact, the sharing of syringes, or transfusion of infected blood. Egypt has a low – but increasing – rate of HIV prevalence. 11,000 people lived with the virus in 2016.

There is a lot of stigma attached to AIDS in the country due to socially conservative attitudes and ignorance of the disease and how it is spread. However, many Egyptians and other Arabs spoke out against the patient’s treatment on social media.

One Twitter user said: “You’ve deprived this AIDS patient of his humanity. Fear God in the way you treat people. If the hospital won’t let him in, where is he going to go?”

Khaled El-Ghamidi tweeted, “In backward societies with crippled thinking people think that anyone afflicted with AIDS has engaged in forbidden relations.”

Rahma Salman tweeted, “This hospital should be held to account for what it did. Instead of giving treatment to an ill person whatever his illness in a civilised and professional way, it threw him out like this. Who allowed the doctors and officials to behave like this?”

After the patient was thrown out of the hospital, he was transported to the “fever hospital” by a tuk-tuk auto-rickshaw, according to hospital staff.

The Egyptian Ministry of Health said in a statement that a full investigation would be launched into the incident.

The post Egypt Hospital Staff Under Fire After Throwing Out AIDS Patient appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Alexa Chung has revealed on Instagram that she suffers from endometriosis, adding that she thinks the condition “sucks”.

On Thursday, the television presenter-turned-fashion designer shared a photograph of herself on the social media platform standing in a hospital corridor with a cotton wool ball taped to her hand, suggesting she had an intravenous cannula temporarily placed in her hand.

Chung captioned the post: “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as a member, but here I am.”

The 35-year-old tagged the image with several hashtags related to endometriosis including “#endometriosisclub”, “#sorryifyouhaveittooitsucks”, and “#endometriosisawareness”.

According to the NHS, endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

The long-term health condition can affect women of any age, but it is most common in women in their 30s and 40s. Its symptoms can range from pain in the lower stomach and pelvis to discomfort during or after sex, and heavy bleeding during a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Endometriosis UK estimates that one in 10 women of reproductive age in the UK suffer from the condition, making it the second most common gynaecological condition in the country.  

Several celebrities and the designer’s followers have commented on her post to share their messages of love and support.

Broadcast journalist Stacey Dooleycommented on the photograph with several heart emojis.

US photographer and filmmaker Pamela Hanson posted a crying emoji, while French singer Lou Doillon wrote “same” with the hashtag “#compassion”.

Meanwhile, other women have shared their own stories about living with the condition.

One user wrote: “Welcome to the tuffest club there is. Like fight club, but with a uterus. [sic]”

Another added: “Diagnosed 38 years ago in the Bronze Age. A healthy pregnancy and twenty-four months of breast feeding radically changed my condition for the better for the duration of my childbearing years.”

Chung later posted a selfie on Instagram Stories wearing a hospital and a patient identification bracelet. Her hand is placed over her stomach.

The star joked in a caption written on the post: “This sexy lil number was completely open in the back and made from the finest printed cotton poplin.

“Ties and trims are grosgrain ribbon. One size fits all. Stunning bracelet made from digital print paper and sellotape (every bangle is personalised to order).”

Other celebrities to have spoken out about their diagnosis of endometriosis in recent years include actor Sarah Hyland, TV presenter Julia Bradbury, and Girls star Lena Dunham.

In 2018, Dunham revealed that she had undergone a total hysterectomy – a procedure that surgically removes the cervix and uterus – following years of suffering from chronic pain as a result of endometriosis.

Months later, she underwent additional surgery to remove her left ovary.

The post ALEXA CHUNG REVEALS SHE HAS ENDOMETRIOSIS AFTER HOSPITAL APPOINTMENT: ‘IT SUCKS’ appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

A Perth mother is calling on the State Government to address WA’s waitlist crisis after learning her daughter could be made to wait years for simple ear surgery.

Madison fears her 19-month-old daughter Scarlett’s eardrum will burst and leave her with permanent deafness if it remains untreated.

But a doctor told the family it could take more than a year for a consultation, and up to 18 months for the procedure as a public patient.

“It actually hurts me every single day to see her suffering, knowing if I had the money she would be done in an instant,” Madison said.

On a private healthcare waiting list, she would only have to wait two weeks for the operation.

According to the Health Department, 1,325 young patients were waiting for ear, nose or throat surgery at Perth Children’s Hospital at the end of May.

1,149 of those were in the least urgent category, with the median waiting time sitting at 177 days.

Australian Medical Association WA President Dr Omar Khorshid said existing waiting times are unacceptable.

“The reality is it can take years to see a specialist doctor on referral from one of our public hospitals and especially when it comes to kids it’s just not acceptable, he said.”

WA Health Minister Roger Cook said only 53 patients on the priority three waitlist had been waiting for longer than the clinically recommended period of 365 days.

“95% of all patients get seen within the clinically required period of time,” he said.

“I don’t decide which patient falls within each category but obviously it’s important that we meet the needs of the patients.”

In an act of desperation Madison took out private health insurance she couldn’t afford, to fast-track Scarlett’s operation.

But she will still have to face a 12 month mandatory waiting period because the condition is pre-existing.

The post Perth mum slams waiting list times as daughter forced to wait years for simple surgery appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Community health care leaders met in May to discuss high blood pressure in our community, and how we have a lot of people experiencing complications from untreated or undertreated high blood pressure. We have excellent hospitals, clinic systems and primary care physicians in our community. We have an engaged public health department and multiple clinic locations for uninsured members. We have a fully accredited heart hospital and excellent cardiologists. We have many primary care clinics who have received patient-centered medical home certification and have processes in place to screen for and treat high blood pressure. So why do we still have a lot of people in our community with undertreated high blood pressure?

Some people simply have not been screened. High blood pressure often offers no symptoms, and patients do not know how their blood pressure is doing simply based on the way they feel. Sometimes people will only go to the doctor when they are sick, and often they assume that their elevated blood pressure was because they did not feel good and are not due to true blood pressure problems. This is a dangerous assumption, and reduces our ability to intervene.

Many pharmacies provide free use of blood pressure machines that are fairly accurate. Ideally, the person would sit at the blood pressure station for 5 minutes to be sure their resting heart rate and blood pressure goes back to its normal value, especially if they walked a lot around the store. If their blood pressure is high after sitting for three to five minutes and the person is not sick or in pain, chances are they truly do have high blood pressure that is not being treated as well as it should be.

Other challenges we have in our area are a high smoking rate and a diet that is high in fat and salt. We also have high obesity rates. All three of these things — smoking, diet and obesity — are risk factors for high blood pressure. Ideal treatment of high blood pressure would not just involve the use of medications, but would also encourage healthy eating behaviors and exercise.

It is important for patients to be informed about what untreated and undertreated high blood pressure can do. This can lead to strokes, heart failure, heart attacks, kidney failure, poor leg circulation, sexual side effects in men and other long-term problems. Common causes of death from long-term, undertreated high blood pressure are heart attacks and strokes. The tricky thing is that these complications do not always occur right away, and patients feel a reduced sense of urgency to treat their blood pressure problems. Sometimes the heart attack or the stroke was caused by years of missed opportunities to treat the high blood pressure when it could have made a difference.

There are many blood pressure medications on the $4 medication discount list at several local pharmacies. Treatment of high blood pressure is often inexpensive, yet many patients simply do not know where to go nor understand why it is important to take their medication. Even though we have many clinics that will see patients at reduced or no cost if they are uninsured, patients do not know that these clinics exist or understand how to access them.

While blood pressure targets are adjusted based upon a person’s risk factors, a good rule of thumb is that normal blood pressure is 120/80, and most doctors agree treatment is needed if the blood pressure stays over 140/90. What is your blood pressure? If you do not know your blood pressure, then please get screened ASAP, either at a local clinic or using a blood pressure machine at a local pharmacy. If your blood pressure is high and you do not know how to access locations for care, please call the Center for Healthy Living at 903-593-7474, or visit it from 8 to 11:30 a.m., and from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can receive a free blood pressure reading and get connected to other local health resources that will help you control your high blood pressure.

The post High blood pressure is the silent killer appeared first on MyMedicPlus.