INTERVIEWS

Overview:

• The South Australian Ambulance Service hopes a state-wide recruitment drive will help fill a growing void in its volunteer numbers. Recruitment drives are being run in the Adelaide Plains, Central South East, Clare, Coorong, Lower Eyre, Lower South East and the West Coast.

• The report, commissioned by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), found nearly half of all surgeons across all specialities have experienced discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment. It was commissioned after vascular surgeon Dr Gabrielle McMullin said complaining about harassment could ruin a trainee’s career. Dr McMullin said she was saddened by the results.

• The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is embarking on a groundbreaking project to sequence and analyse the genomes of up to 60 children in NSW with severe intellectual or developmental disability, along with their families. Garvan aims to speed up and simplify the journey towards diagnosis for the families involved, and to demonstrate a powerful new way forward in genetic diagnosis of young children.

Overview:

• Australia’s first autism biobank has been established to help researchers develop an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of autism. The chairwoman of the Cooperative Centre for Living with Autism, Judy Brewer, said they hoped to change that with the biobank.

• WA Health Minister Kim Hames has distanced himself from comments by the Premier on a report, which was critical of adult cancer services in the state, after Colin Barnett attacked the findings as “exaggerated”.

• Every year, about 2,500 Australians take their own lives. Many of the tens of thousands of people affected by loss will come together to take part in World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK Day, to help stem the tide. Martina McGrath will be one of them and she will be speaking about her work with Griffith University Australian Institute for Suicide Prevention and Research.

Overview:

• The New South Wales Country Women’s Association is stepping up its efforts to help support domestic violence victims living in the bush. The organisation is supporting the 1800-RESPECT hotline, run by the Rape and Domestic Violence Service Australia

• A team from the ACON health organisation will use a clinical bus borrowed from Broken Hill’s Maari Ma Aboriginal Health Corporation to offer the tests at the festival’s Saturday night street party.The festival is a celebration of the Priscilla Queen of the Desert film, shot in Broken Hill, and Australia’s LGBTI culture.

• Ambulance Employees Association secretary Phil Palmer said he was advised at an industrial liaison meeting on Monday that the Treasury Department needed to find $7.9 million in savings from the SA Ambulance Service.

Guest: Dr Gary Jankelowitz
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Dr Gary Jankelowitz is the Medical Director for MSD Australia and New Zealand. He has over 15 years pharmaceutical industry experience, with over 8 years in Medical Affairs. Gary has worked in Australia, UK and South Africa. Gary has worked across multiple therapeutic areas and has worked in strategic planning, business development, sales and marketing and medical affairs. He holds a Medical Degree from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, an MBA from Manchester Business School, UK and a Masters in Drug Development from the UNSW, Australia.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, know more about the wide range of products that (Merck Sharp & Dohme) MSD Australia and New Zealand has to offer. Our guest is Medical Director Dr. Gary Jankelowitz and he is here to talk about their company’s product range and what differentiates them from other pharmaceutical companies. Their product range covers areas in heart and respiratory health, infectious diseases as well as women’s health, osteoporosis, cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer as well as building strengths in new areas like biologics.

Overview:

• Broken Hill Base Hospital is taking special precautions to ensure the quality of its water as the water shortage in far west New South Wales worsens. A spokesman for the Far West Local Health District said that the hospital is preparing to install its own reverse osmosis desalination plant on site to treat water specifically for use in hospital equipment.

• ACT Branch Secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Jenny Miragaya told 666 ABC Canberra that there was “a national and international crisis with regards to shortage of nurses and midwives.” However, increased nursing and midwifery training opportunities in recent years had not translated to employment figures.

• The mother of a young woman Jessica Martin who died after her Addison’s disease went undiagnosed by doctors and specialists says there needs to be more awareness of the disorder, an inquest hears.

Guest: Dr. Daniel Twogood
Presenter: Neal Howard
Guest Bio: Dr. Daniel Twogood graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1973 with a degree in physical education. He graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles in 1983. He began practicing at the International Spots Medicine Institute in West Los Angeles where he treated many of the athletes in the 1984 Olympics. He opened his own practice in Apple Valley, California in 1985 where he discovered the diet/pain connection. He has written four books, the latest is Chronic Pain Gone 90 Days.

Segment overview: Dr. Twogood talks about his book “Chronic Pain – Gone in 90 Days.” Outlined in his book are the 10 steps to eliminate chronic pain.

Guest: Dr. Daniel Twogood
Presenter: Neal Howard
Guest Bio: Dr. Daniel Twogood graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1973 with a degree in physical education. He graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles in 1983. He began practicing at the International Spots Medicine Institute in West Los Angeles where he treated many of the athletes in the 1984 Olympics. He opened his own practice in Apple Valley, California in 1985 where he discovered the diet/pain connection. He has written four books, the latest is Chronic Pain Gone 90 Days.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, Dr. Twogood discusses the connection between chronic pain and substances found in foods.

Guest: Dr. Daniel Twogood
Presenter: Neal Howard
Guest Bio: Dr. Daniel Twogood graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1973 with a degree in physical education. He graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles in 1983. He began practicing at the International Spots Medicine Institute in West Los Angeles where he treated many of the athletes in the 1984 Olympics. He opened his own practice in Apple Valley, California in 1985 where he discovered the diet/pain connection. He has written four books, the latest is Chronic Pain Gone 90 Days.

Segment overview: Dr. Twogood discusses what Chronic Pain is and why conventional treatments sometimes prove to be ineffective.

Overview:

• Leading Sydney neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo has backed Senator Nick Xenophon’s call for a Senate inquiry into the medical complaints process. Dr. Teo told Lateline that a culture of bullying went right to the top and that it was destroying the lives of doctors and their families.

• About 250 health professionals from around the state’s north, including doctors and nutritionists, gathered in Launceston for the Nutrition for Life annual forum. Dr Gery Fettke Launceston orthopaedic surgeon said that the forum looked at encouraging the community to focus on preventing problems like diabetes and obesity rather than treatment.

• Brisbane stand-up comic Jenny Wynter also known as Doctor Kerchoo has joined the laughter therapy circuit as part of the Humour Foundation, which aims to ease some of the pain and boredom for sick kids, many of whom are confined to their beds for months at a time.

Guest: Gary Bird
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Gary currently holds the position of Country Manager for MEDA Pharmaceuticals Australia and New Zealand. Previously he has held a number of senior marketing roles in the healthcare sector, including Regional Marketing Director for Johnson and Johnson with responsibility for 14 local operating companies across the Asia Pacific region. Gary has been recognised within Johnson and Johnson as Asia Pacific Marketer of the Year, and was a founding member of the company’s Innovation Council with a mission to lead and drive a sustainable culture of innovation.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, get the best options when it comes to you or your loved ones’ pharmaceutical needs as we learn more about MEDA Pharmaceuticals Australia and New Zealand from their Country Manager Gary Bird. Their product portfolio is divided into three main areas which are specialty products, non-prescription products and branded generics. Committed to quality products and happy customers, they are listed as the 48th largest pharmaceutical company in the world.