Health News – 19 Dec 2014

Overview

  • AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler, today urged all Australians to take special care on the nation’s roads this holiday season to reduce the risk of car and other vehicle accidents.
  • Scientists are concerned that the Federal Government is compromising future trade opportunities by abolishing animal health committees.
  • Increasing demand for Botox and tummy tucks in regional areas has prompted cosmetic surgeons to offer fly-in fly-out services to country towns.The cosmetic medicine industry is booming in Australia, with some the uptake of some procedures increasing 15% per year.


News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 19th December 2014. Read by Rebecca Foster. Health News

https://ama.com.au/media/ama-urges-community-and-family-focus-road-safety-holiday-season

AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler, today urged all Australians to take special care on the nation’s roads this holiday season to reduce the risk of car and other vehicle accidents.
A/Prof Owler, a Sydney neurosurgNews on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 19th December 2014. Read by Rebecca Foster.

https://ama.com.au/media/ama-urges-community-and-family-focus-road-safety-holiday-season

AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler, today urged all Australians to take special care on the nation’s roads this holiday season to reduce the risk of car and other vehicle accidents.

A/Prof Owler, a Sydney neurosurgeon who regularly operates on the victims of road carnage, said there had been a remarkable reduction in national annual road fatalities over the last ten years – down by 25 per cent since 2003 – but too many lives are still being lost or harmed because of carelessness on our roads.

A/Prof Owler said that careful planning of trips and safer driving could mean the difference between a family outing and a family tragedy.
“Speeding is still a factor in about one-third of road fatalities in Australia, and more than 4,100 people are injured in speed-related incidents each year,” A/Prof Owler said.

“Even driving 5kms over the speed limit doubles the likelihood of a casualty crash.

“Because more people tend to drive just over the limit to avoid speed traps, low level speeding results in more crashes than high level speeding.

“Driver fatigue is one of the top three contributors to the road toll.

“Research shows that fatigue can be as dangerous as other road safety issues, such as drink driving.

“Drivers need to be aware of their tiredness level and plan their trips accordingly, with regular breaks and rests or change of drivers.”

A/Prof Owler said the economic cost of road crashes in Australia is estimated at $27 billion per annum, and the social impacts are devastating.

The AMA recommends simple steps to help reduce the risks on the roads this holiday season:
get a good night’s sleep;
do not drive if affected by alcohol or other substances;
avoid driving at night when your body will naturally want to sleep;
arrange to share the driving;
plan to take regular breaks from driving (use rest areas);
find out if any medicine you are taking may affect your driving; and
know the early warning signs of fatigue.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-18/scientist-say-government-cuts-threaten-animal-health/5975764

Scientists are concerned that the Federal Government is compromising future trade opportunities by abolishing animal health committees.
The government has axed 14 agricultural bodies as part of its mid-year Budget update, including the Sub-Committee on Animal Health Laboratory Standards (SCAHLS), which was responsible for overseeing and developing safe diagnostic testing for diseases like Hendra virus and ovine Johne’s.
Professor of farm animal health at the University of Sydney, Professor Richard Whittington, was part of SCAHLS and he’s deeply disappointed.

“To throw away something that is actually important, that actually underpins our trade in agricultural products, without consultation and without a proper plan, I think, is jeopardising a number of important opportunities for Australia,” he said.
“We’ve just signed a free trade agreement with China, for example, which is purported to provide an opportunity in livestock product exports. All of that is underpinned by the quality of our product. And the quality of our product is underpinned by our laboratory system that determines the quality and the safety of all of our agricultural produce.”
A spokesperson for the Agriculture Minister said the decision was part of the Federal Finance Minister’s smaller government reforms, designed to reduce duplicity and waste. The government has cut 251 government bodies since the last election.

Budget papers state that the Department of Agriculture will take on any ‘ongoing functions’ from the abolished committees and will ‘bring in more technical expertise’, but Professor Whittington can’t see that happening.

The Federal Government says the Animal Health Committee (AHC) will ensure experts continue to advise the Agriculture Minister on scientific issues.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-14/cosmetic-surgeons-head-bush-as-demand-soars/5965516

Increasing demand for Botox and tummy tucks in regional areas has prompted cosmetic surgeons to offer fly-in fly-out services to country towns.
The cosmetic medicine industry is booming in Australia, with some the uptake of some procedures increasing 15 per cent per year.

Regional residents are as enthusiastic as their city counterparts about getting cosmetic lifts, with FIFO cosmetic doctors touring small towns and renting surgical rooms to treat patients.
Dr Ehsan Jadoon has a practice in Perth but spends much of his time doing two-day visits to centres like Alice Springs, Broome and Esperance.

“The services we offer are not generally available locally, so patients would have to fly to Perth or Darwin to have a procedure done,” he said.
“So that’s how it all started.

Services include facelifts and breast augmentations, as well as non-invasive procedures like anti-wrinkle injections and scar removal.
Dr Jadoon said he found country women were often more concerned about their appearance than city women.

This has been the news on Health Professional Radio.

I’m Rebecca Foster, now off on holidays for two weeks. Wishing you a safe and happy Christmas.

For more information on today’s news head to hpr.fm/news and subscribe to our podcast on itunes.

eon who regularly operates on the victims of road carnage, said there had been a remarkable reduction in national annual road fatalities over the last ten years – down by 25 per cent since 2003 – but too many lives are still being lost or harmed because of carelessness on our roads.

A/Prof Owler said that careful planning of trips and safer driving could mean the difference between a family outing and a family tragedy.
“Speeding is still a factor in about one-third of road fatalities in Australia, and more than 4,100 people are injured in speed-related incidents each year,” A/Prof Owler said.
“Even driving 5kms over the speed limit doubles the likelihood of a casualty crash.
“Because more people tend to drive just over the limit to avoid speed traps, low level speeding results in more crashes than high level speeding.
“Driver fatigue is one of the top three contributors to the road toll.
“Research shows that fatigue can be as dangerous as other road safety issues, such as drink driving.
“Drivers need to be aware of their tiredness level and plan their trips accordingly, with regular breaks and rests or change of drivers.”
A/Prof Owler said the economic cost of road crashes in Australia is estimated at $27 billion per annum, and the social impacts are devastating.

The AMA recommends simple steps to help reduce the risks on the roads this holiday season:
get a good night’s sleep;
do not drive if affected by alcohol or other substances;
avoid driving at night when your body will naturally want to sleep;
arrange to share the driving;
plan to take regular breaks from driving (use rest areas);
find out if any medicine you are taking may affect your driving; and
know the early warning signs of fatigue.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-18/scientist-say-government-cuts-threaten-animal-health/5975764

Scientists are concerned that the Federal Government is compromising future trade opportunities by abolishing animal health committees.
The government has axed 14 agricultural bodies as part of its mid-year Budget update, including the Sub-Committee on Animal Health Laboratory Standards (SCAHLS), which was responsible for overseeing and developing safe diagnostic testing for diseases like Hendra virus and ovine Johne’s.
Professor of farm animal health at the University of Sydney, Professor Richard Whittington, was part of SCAHLS and he’s deeply disappointed.

“To throw away something that is actually important, that actually underpins our trade in agricultural products, without consultation and without a proper plan, I think, is jeopardising a number of important opportunities for Australia,” he said.
“We’ve just signed a free trade agreement with China, for example, which is purported to provide an opportunity in livestock product exports. All of that is underpinned by the quality of our product. And the quality of our product is underpinned by our laboratory system that determines the quality and the safety of all of our agricultural produce.”
A spokesperson for the Agriculture Minister said the decision was part of the Federal Finance Minister’s smaller government reforms, designed to reduce duplicity and waste. The government has cut 251 government bodies since the last election.

Budget papers state that the Department of Agriculture will take on any ‘ongoing functions’ from the abolished committees and will ‘bring in more technical expertise’, but Professor Whittington can’t see that happening.

The Federal Government says the Animal Health Committee (AHC) will ensure experts continue to advise the Agriculture Minister on scientific issues.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-14/cosmetic-surgeons-head-bush-as-demand-soars/5965516

Increasing demand for Botox and tummy tucks in regional areas has prompted cosmetic surgeons to offer fly-in fly-out services to country towns.
The cosmetic medicine industry is booming in Australia, with some the uptake of some procedures increasing 15 per cent per year.
Regional residents are as enthusiastic as their city counterparts about getting cosmetic lifts, with FIFO cosmetic doctors touring small towns and renting surgical rooms to treat patients.
Dr Ehsan Jadoon has a practice in Perth but spends much of his time doing two-day visits to centres like Alice Springs, Broome and Esperance.

“The services we offer are not generally available locally, so patients would have to fly to Perth or Darwin to have a procedure done,” he said.
“So that’s how it all started.

Services include facelifts and breast augmentations, as well as non-invasive procedures like anti-wrinkle injections and scar removal.
Dr Jadoon said he found country women were often more concerned about their appearance than city women.

This has been the news on Health Professional Radio.

I’m Rebecca Foster, now off on holidays for two weeks. Wishing you a safe and happy Christmas.

For more information on today’s news head to hpr.fm/news and subscribe to our podcast on itunes.

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