UNIVERSITAS AIRLANGGA NEWS – Medical history is very important especially for resident nurses to provide further care to patients. However, not all nurses can track medical histories, such as resident nurses in Dr. Soetomo in providing care to HIV / AIDS patients.

In this regard, Hendriyan Ogivano, a student of Faculty of Science and Technology Universitas Airlangga (FST UNAIR) in a team created an application to help the palliative treatment of HIV / AIDS patients called ” Med Buddies HIV / AIDS Medication Partner “. The application can help patients to schedule regular medication.

“We made an application to help palliative treatment of HIV / AIDS patients because often people with HIV / AIDS do not take medication regularly,” explained the Information Systems student.

Hendriyan’s team included Najibullah Ulul Albab, a Faculty of Science and Technology student, Rizki Jian Utami, a Faculty of Nursing (FKp) student, Rahmatul Habibah (FKP), and Asih Parama Anindhia (FKP).

According to Hend, there were several stages carried out in the study, brainstorming, finding solutions and implementation into the application system. The brainstorming stage, he continued, was carried out to find the root of the problem.

“The initial stage is to do brainstorming repeatedly to find the main problem, then to find the solution of the problem correctly. After that, it will be implemented into the application system, “explained the final year student.

Hend said that in the process, time became one of the obstacles because it is difficult to find the right time to do brainstorming repeatedly.

“The difficulty may be from finding the right time for brainstorming as it was done many times and we are not free at the same time,” he said.

Hend also revealed that the application has been through a development process and has been tested. Furthermore, the application can also be downloaded via Playstore.

With the application, Hend hoped that in the future the application can develop even more, not only for HIV / AIDS but also for other diseases.

For the application, Hend won Silver Project Best Project category in the Management & Science University on Idea Regeneration Expo 2019 (MSU iREX 2019), on December 16-17 2019, at Chancellor Hall, Management & Science University, Malaysia.

The application also won a gold award at the International Exhibition of Research, Idea & Innovation on Creative and Humanizing on (16-18 / 12/19 ) at the Convention Hall, Level 5 E-Learning, Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah Campus (KSAJS ), Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI), Malaysia.

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Chulalongkorn University, Thailand’s top public university, has finally amended its uniform regulations to allow students to dress according to their gender identity, after a group of students earlier this year filed a request for this change and also filed a complaint against a Faculty of Education lecturer.

An announcement from Chulalongkorn University dated 7 November 2019 said that the University has approved the amendment to its uniform regulations, which now clearly states that “students may wear the uniform according to the gender they have been assigned at birth or according to their gender identity,” allowing students to dress accordingly in class, in examinations, or at formal events.

Prior to this amendment, Chulalongkorn University had no official protocol for transgender students wishing to dress according to their gender identity. Students had to file individual requests with the University in order to graduate in the clothing that matches their gender identity or to dress according to their gender identity in class and in examinations. While the University has been allowing students to graduate in the dress that matches their gender identity, it is rare for students to file requests to do this for class or examinations. The request process is also complicated, requiring a large amount of paperwork, including a medical certificate stating that they have a “gender identity disorder.” Students are also often unaware that it is possible to make such a request or how to go about it.

While many lecturers will not punish or pressure transgender students into dressing according to the gender they were assigned at birth, students still face discrimination or transphobic comments from some members of staff, especially in faculties which are perceived as more ‘conservative’, such as the Faculty of Education, where students have often been threatened with disciplinary action. The amendment to the uniform regulations may mean that trans students can no longer be accused of violating university regulations and will no longer have to file individual uniform requests. However, it may not end discrimination on the individual level.

In January 2019, Jirapat Techakijvekin, a student at the Faculty of Education, filed an appeal with the University’s grievance committee after the Faculty Board of Administrators overturned permission for her to wear the uniform for female students and ordered her to dress as male or face extreme penalties. Jirapat said that she filed a formal request with the Faculty in September 2017, and in December of the same year, she was informed by the Faculty that permission has been granted only for it to be overturned on 11 January 2019.

Jirapat also said that she faced transphobic comments from Niran Sangsawat, a special instructor, in November 2018. Niran reportedly told her to either dress as male for his next class, or not to come to class at all. He also told her that being transgender is just like being insane, and said to her: “It is good enough that we’re allowing you to study instead of sending you to an asylum.” He also allegedly told Jirapat that he would be asking the Faculty to reconsider her case, after which the Faculty’s decision on her request was overturned.

Other students also came forward on social media to say that generations of students for the past 35 years have faced discriminatory behavior while in Niran’s class. Student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal also launched a Change.org campaign calling for the Faculty of Education to take disciplinary action against Niran. However, it is unclear whether the Faculty will be taking any action.

Jirapat and two other students also went to the Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development (DWF) on 29 January 2019 to file a formal complaint with the Committee on Consideration of Unfair Gender Discrimination. Under Section 18 of Thailand’s Gender Equality Act, any person who thinks that they have suffered from gender-based discrimination may file a complaint with the Gender Discrimination Committee, which has the authority to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to end and prevent discrimination, and to ensure that there will be compensation and remedy for the injured party.

A letter dated 18 February 2019 from the University to Jirapat stated that, while the University’s Office of Students Affairs is in the process of amending the uniform regulations so that it will be in accordance with the Gender Equality Act, the university granted Jirapat permission to wear the uniform for female students. The amendment to the uniform regulations was finally announced on 11 November 2019.

The Thai LGBTQ+ community faces daily cases of discrimination and inequality, most living under strong pressure not to bring shame to their family, while the country’s tourism authority advertises Thailand as being a queer-friendly destination, even launching the “Go Thai, Be Free” campaign as a way to attract LGBTQ+ tourists. Bangkok has been called “Asia’s gay capital” and is known for its gay nightlife scene, transgender beauty queens, and gender reassignment surgery. However, even with the Gender Equality Act of 2015, there is very little legal support for the LGBTQ+ community.

And even if homosexuality is no longer a crime under Thai law, the LGBTQ+ community still faces discrimination in the workplace, school, and in the home. There are reports of LGBTQ+ people being denied promotion or fired from their jobs after disclosing their sexuality, or questioned inappropriately about their sexual orientation and gender identity during interviews. LGBTQ+ students face harassment and bullying from their teachers and peers based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Transgender inmates in Thai prison have difficulties accessing hormone treatment, and many faced a condition known as “double imprisonment” when transwomen who have not undergone gender reassignment surgery are held in a segregated area inside men’s prisons.

Thailand currently lacks a gender recognition law, preventing transgender people from changing their title. It also does not have a marriage equality law, meaning that same-sex couples cannot be legally married, leading to other issues, such as not being able to adopt children or to make medical decisions on behalf of one’s partner.

On 22 August, parliament also voted not to support a proposal to set up a separate Standing Committee on LGBTQ+ rights. Instead, LGBTQ+ rights will be subsumed under the Standing Committee on children, young people, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and ethnic groups.

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Researchers have found that students who use their smartphones five or more hours a day are prone to higher risk of obesity and likely to have other lifestyle habits that increases the risk of heart disease.

According to a study, researchers analysed 1,060 students (700 girls and 360 boys) of Colombia with an average age of 19 years and 20 years, respectively.

“It is important for the general population to know and be aware that, despite being undoubtedly attractive for its multiple purposes, portability, comfort, access to countless services, information and entertainment sources, mobile technology should also be used to improve habits and healthy behaviours,” said study lead Author Mirary Mantilla-Morron from the Simon Bolivar University in Colombia.

The study found that the risk of obesity increases by 43 per cent if a smartphone was used for five or more hours a day, as participating students were twice as likely to drink more sugary drinks, fast food, sweets, snacks and have decreased physical activities.

According to researchers, 26 per cent of the students who were overweight and 4.6 per cent who were obese spent more than five hours using their device.

Spending too much time using the smartphone facilitates sedentary behaviours, reduces the time of physical activity, which increases the risk of premature death, diabetes, heart disease and different types of cancer, the study said.

According to Rajesh Kapoor, surgical Gastroenterology, Jaypee Hospital, Noida, using smartphones today is not a mere choice, rather it has become a necessity. But using it for too long may risk your healthy life.

“The best way out is to encourage yourself to reduce the duration of time being used on phones and other related gadgets at the same time, to indulge in physical activities like yoga or any other sports or exercise pattern, and by not becoming a couch potato,” Kapoor told IANS.

“It is not a question of five or more hours on the phone. It is a question of how much activity level we are able to build into our life,” Achal Bhagat, Senior Consultant, Psychiatry at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi told IANS.

“And if we are not able to build it to an adequate level, then it increases the chances of obesity and related health risk factors. Phone is one of the ways of exhibiting that we are not doing enough physical activities in our life,” he added.

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