Stop poaching doctors from poor countries
I’m not sure about the desirability or sustainability of Australia poaching doctors from poor countries to fill vacancies in our depleted medical workforce.
The “great brain drain” it’s known as around the world. The United Kingdom, United States and other affluent nations also recruit third world doctors.
In Australia, more than 10 percent of the medical workforce is made up of foreign-trained doctors, most of them from Asia. Read more
Cold and flu tablets
I’ve got my first major head cold for the year. It’s not surprising given that several staff were off sick at various times last week and the weather is “freeze your balls off” as one letter writer succinctly put it.
I know American bloggers think we’re soft when we complain about the cold, but today would have sent the shivers up just about anyone.
The wind chill meant it was effectively four degrees.
Anyhow, I ventured out at lunchtime to get some cold and flu tablets from the chemist, which sadly was half a mile away from the office. Read more
Foot soles absorb oils
I just received this email forwarded from a Rotary friend who is a nurse:
“During a lecture on essential oils, they told us how the foot soles can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can “taste it.
“Some of us have used Vicks Vapor Rub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I’ve never heard of this. And don’t laugh, it works 100 percent of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren’t sure why. Read more
Two-week diet
I don’t normally go on diets. If my weight climbs it is because I’m not exercising enough. That’s true at the moment, and I will do something about it, but to get started I’m going to diet for two weeks.
Nothing complicated. I will restrict myself to cereal, seafood, soup, fruit and vegetables for 14 days. I aim to lose 10 pounds.
The reason for writing it here is that I will be accountable to myself.
Aged care accreditation
I had the privilege of visiting the Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home in Kalgoorlie on Friday to meet the Mother Superior and management, and look through the facility.
I was left with no doubt the staff are dedicated, the residents are happy and a high level of care is provided. So why did the facility fail to meet more than 20 expected outcomes in an accreditation audit?
The simple answer is that the Little Sisters are totally devoted to delivering their mission of care to the frail aged. The four nuns are themselves growing older, but continue to dedicate themselves to their vocation.
They don’t work under an industrial award and they don’t clock off at the end of a shift. Their waking hours are spent caring for others. Read more
Private patients in public hospitals
I’ve heard mixed messages over the years about private patients being treated in public hospitals using their private insurance.
The standard line is that they will be admitted and given a private room if one is available.
When I worked for Alpine Health, the organisation actively encouraged private patients to use their insurance, to the point where Alpine Health paid their excess. The rationale was that Alpine Health made money on the deal. Read more
Giving a sperm sample
I don’t know what prompted me to think of this subject today. Probably it was a repressed memory which must have been triggered by something. Certainly it was a memory I had banished from my conscious mind.
After Michael was born in 1996 Juliet decided to have no more children. It wasn’t something I agreed with, but who am I, a mere male, to challenge someone who spent 20 hours in labor giving birth to our first child?
Being a woman though, Juliet changed her mind a couple of years later. We spent the next couple of years practicing the business without producing any dividends.
Suspecting a plumbing issue, Juliet went to see a specialist in Albury. Being a very competent and thorough gentleman he wanted to rule out all possibilities before giving his pronouncement. Read more
Beaten in the fun run
I wrote a few weeks ago that Michael Jnr, aged 11, was starting to get the better of me, aged 40, in sporting events.
In the earlier article I described how Michael beat me over 25 metres in the pool and I bravely stated that “I would expect to hold the upper hand in athletic and cycling events for the time being”.
Well, today that theory came unstuck when he finished ahead of me in the GMF Health Fun Run. Results haven’t been posted yet, but Michael thinks he covered the 4km distance in about 18 minutes and I’m tipping 21 minutes for myself.
Last year I came sixth in the event with a time of about 19:30. There were a lot more competitors this year and I’m not as fit.
Young Michael had never run over that distance before (school cross countries are 2km for him at the moment) and had plenty of energy to spare at the finish. Next year he should complete the event in about 16 minutes, is my guess.
Fluoride and bottled water
I know from past experience that writing about fluoride provokes strong views, especially from people who oppose compulsory fluoridation of water supplies.
I’m inclined though to accept the anecdotal evidence I’ve personally heard from dentists and health experts that tooth decay is higher in areas that don’t have fluoridated water.
There is a push now for fluoride to be added to bottled water, according to The Age. I think bottled water producers should be allowed to add fluoride if they want to, and possibly the government should offer them a price incentive to do so. However, it should not be made compulsory.
I suspect the increasing rates of tooth decay are more likely to be the result of poor oral hygiene and children drinking too much lemonade, Coke and fruit juice. There are times we just insist on our kids drinking water if they say they are thirsty.
Medicare for IVF
I don’t have a problem with the Federal Government’s plan to limit Medicare support for IVF to three times a year (and three in total for women aged over 42).
We’ve known couples who received IVF treatment and they pretty much paid for everything themselves. The Medicare rebate has only become available since the safety net was introduced last year.
As I understand it, a couple will pay for the first treatment themselves, which puts them over the safety net threshold, and they’re then entitled to significant Medicare rebates for subsequent cycles.
No doubt it must be a difficult, even traumatic experience. Four times a year would probably be sufficient for most people.
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