The Health News – 08 July 2015

Overview:

• The Hobart District Nursing Service that had threatened to pull out of the Tasman Peninsula after a dispute over the use of local doctors, will continue operating there for at least another year.

• Significant levels of strong painkillers and anti-depressants have been found in tests conducted samples of marine water from 30 sites adjacent to stormwater outlets across the entire Sydney estuary.

• The world’s oldest living person Susannah Mushatt Jones, the daughter of sharecroppers and granddaughter of slaves, has celebrated her 116th birthday in New York.

Health News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 8th July 2015. Read by Rebecca Foster.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-07/hdns-nursing-service-to-continue-operating-on-tasman-peninsula/6600084

A nursing service that had threatened to pull out of the Tasman Peninsula after a dispute over the use of local doctors will continue operating there for at least another year.

The Hobart District Nursing Service (HDNS) has signed a 12-month contract to continue operating a community health service at Nubeena.
The non-for-profit organisation suffered a public backlash when it moved to provide its own locum doctors instead of continuing to subsidise doctors from a private practice in Lauderdale.
The HDNS then threatened to withdraw from operating the Tasman Health and Community Service altogether.
Tasman Mayor Roseanne Heyward said it was a relief to have a new agreement in place.
“A huge relief, and not just for the community members but for the staff and the residents of the facilities and their families,” she said.
“It’s been a very trying time for them, waiting to hear what the news would be.
“The contracts are with the state and federal governments and Hobart District Nurses, and they have re-signed for another 12 months.
…
She also thanked Tasmania’s Health Minister Michael Ferguson for facilitating the discussions to resolve the issue.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-07/common-drugs-found-lurking-in-sydney-harbour-water/6599670

Significant levels of strong painkillers and anti-depressants have been found in tests conducted on water samples in Sydney Harbour.

The drugs were found by analysing samples of marine water from 30 sites adjacent to stormwater outlets across the entire Sydney estuary.
Scientist Gavin Birch from the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney said it was the first time this kind of research had been done in Australia.
“I was surprised how widespread the drugs were in the samples. Paracetamol was found in all 30 sites, whereas one particular artificial sweetener was found in 27 sites,” he said.
Other drugs found across Sydney Harbour waters included beta blockers and an epilepsy medication.

Mr Birch said the findings indicated sewage water may be leaking into the harbour.
“The presence of acesulfame [a recognised marker of domestic wastewater] and pharmaceuticals in water from all parts of the estuary after a dry period, suggests sewage water is leaking into the stormwater system in this catchment,” he said.
While the drugs were widespread in Sydney Harbour waters, they were found in low concentrations. It is not known whether the leak is harmful to humans, flora or fauna.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-07/worlds-oldest-person-susannah-jones-celebrates-116th-birthday/6599840

The world’s oldest living person, the daughter of sharecroppers and granddaughter of slaves, has celebrated her 116th birthday in New York.

Susannah Mushatt Jones marked the occasion privately with family on Monday (local time), according to the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) which monitors the world’s oldest people.
Ms Jones was born in Alabama in 1899 and after graduating from high school moved north in 1922 to New Jersey and then New York, where she worked as a housekeeper and child care provider.
She retired in 1965 and maintains that plenty of sleep is the secret to her longevity, adding that she never drank or smoked.
The centenatarian, however, has lost her eyesight and has difficulties hearing.
Ms Jones was the third of 11 children born to sharecroppers, and her grandparents were slaves, according to a book written about her by a family member.
The book, Susannah Our Incredible 114-Year-Old Aunt, identifies Ms Jones as mostly African-American, with some Native American ancestry.
Ms Jones never had children but has more than 100 nieces and nephews.
Of her husband, according to her nursing home, she says: “I don’t know what happened to him.”
She is the third consecutive American to hold the title of world’s oldest person.
Ms Jones inherited the title after the June 17 death of Jeralean Talley in Michigan, who was also 116.
…
This has been the news on Health Professional Radio. For more information on today’s items head to hpr.fm/news and subscribe to our podcast on itunes.