CARDIAC PROGRESS: The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has released a national survey outlining the progress made in the treatment of cardiac patients over the past decade.
Key findings were: patients receive emergency cardiac medications much faster than was shown in the 1994 survey; many cardiac patients are being treated in A&E rather than in intensive care/coronary care units; there is a high rate of the use of statins (cholesterol-lowering medication) in Ireland.
However, patient delay in presenting themselves to hospital is still the biggest challenge to rapid treatment of cardiac symptoms.
DUBLIN SUPPORT: The Irish Osteoporosis Society (IOS) will launch its Dublin Support Group at a public meeting this evening. The meeting, to be held at 7.30 p.m. in the Ussher Theatre in Trinity College, will include a lecture on osteoporosis by Prof Moira O'Brien, FRCPI, president of the Irish Osteoporosis Society.
The IOS Dublin Support Group will enable members of the IOS living in the Dublin area to receive information on osteoporosis, its prevention and treatment and local and national expert.
AIDS CONFERENCE: A conference entitled New Preventative Technologies: Providing New Options to Stop the Spread of HIV/AIDS, addressed by Dr Seth Berkeley (a specialist in infectious disease epidemiology and international health) takes place on June 24th at the Berkeley Court Hotel.
It will focus on HIV vaccination and the research, development and eventual use of "microbicide".
OBESITY CRISIS: With obesity being a major issue on the healthcare agenda of Ireland, a number of GPs around the Republic are forming GP NOW (GP National Organisation for Weight Control), a group that will provide support and materials to health professionals.
They are launching a pubic awareness campaign, entitled War on Weight, to encourage people to talk to their doctors about weight concerns. For more details on the campaign see GPNOW.ie.
TB VACCINE: Researchers in the Immune Regulation Research Group at Trinity College Dublin are participating in a €32 million EU research project to develop new vaccines to fight TB.
Some 15 European and African countries are involved in the MUVRAPED project (Mucosal Vaccines for Poverty Related Diseases), which focuses on delivering vaccines for HIV or TB orally or as a nasal spray.
This reduces the risk involved when using needles.
PATIENT SAFETY: The results of a report released two months ago by the National Patient Safety Agency found that only 40 per cent of necessary hand-hygiene procedures were being carried out in National Health Service hospitals in Britain.
MRSA cases, where infections do not respond to standard antibiotics, are on the rise and some health officials are blaming this on the lack of basic hygiene practices in hospitals.
The agency report claims that hand washing could save the lives of up to one million people, particularly children under five, every year.
NO MORE LUNCHES: Carlow/Kilkenny Community Care have introduced a new lunchtime information service. The Community Care headquarters at James's Green in Kilkenny and Athy Road in Carlow open between 1- 2 p.m. on weekdays.
Members of the Community Care administrative staff will provide information on the services and answer queries about eligibility for Community Care Services; help with the completion of forms for the various services; and facilitate those who wish to submit completed forms.