Understanding your Medicare options is an important part of planning for health care costs in retirement.
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Tag: Care
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Medicare questions? Here’s what you need to know from A to D.
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International working group on Ethics & COVID-19
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic raises a number of difficult ethical issues, related to e.g. clinical trials, social distancing, priority-setting, health-care workers’ rights and obligations etc. WHO has established an international Working Group on Ethics & COVID-19 in order to develop advice on key ethical questions that Member States need to address.
Related document
Distilling existing guidance to support COVID-19 Research & Development [pdf, 263kb]
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Health Ministry mulls over use of ‘Favipiravir’ to treat patients
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is considering the use of antiviral drug ‘Favipiravir’ to treat Covid-19 positive patients, according to its director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pix).
He said the drug, which is also known as ‘Avigan’ and ‘Fuhaikang’, was not yet registered in the country.
“We (MOH) can approve it. However, we need to test the drug as it has certain side effects. So we need to be careful when using it,” he said during the daily press conference on Covid-19 here today, explaining that the drug was known as Avigan in Japan, and Fuhaikang in China.
In the event that the drug is approved, patients will need to be closely monitored to ensure its effectiveness, he explained.
Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said 800 ventilators were required in government hospitals, out of which 500 would be designated for the specific use of Covid-19 cases.
The ministry had purchased 229 units of ventilators, with 54 units already received. The remaining 175 units are expected to arrive by early April, he said.
The private sector had also agreed to lend 64 ventilators for use in government hospitals, he added.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently announced an allocation of RM500 million for the purchase of medical equipment such as ventilators and Intensive Care Unit equipment, additional personal protective equipment (PPE) for public medical personnel, and for laboratory requirements for Covid-19 tests. – Bernama
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Private hospitals urged to provide more assistance to govt hospitals
PETALING JAYA: Private hospitals are asked to put profits aside for now and in the name of service, support the Health Ministry in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) CEO Datuk Dr Paul Selvaraj said in this time of crisis, private hospitals, especially those run by government-linked companies, should give their utmost to assist the government given that public hospitals are called to treat the rising number of Covid-19 patients.
“Put service as priority and put aside profits for now,“ he told theSun today.
Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong suggested that private hospitals step forward to take some of the burden off the public sector by providing some sort of subsidised charges or no cost at all. They should also help with cases which are not related to the viral pandemic, fill the need for special wards, offer intensive care unit space and equipment such as ventilators and oxygen supply.
“In the best of times, private hospitals reap the benefits of the much touted Malaysian product known as ‘medical tourism’ and attract the best medical talents from the public sector.
“Now that we are in the worst of times, private hospitals don’t seem to be doing too badly either.
“According to the Affin Hwang Capital Research, the coronavirus pandemic is likely to have only a muted impact on private hospital operators as they are required to report such cases to public hospitals and the national infection centre,“ Kua said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, in response to the many questions broached of late, president of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said they (private hospitals) have made available 51 ventilators to the Health Ministry.
“We will be accepting non Covid-19 cases from the Health Ministry hospitals too. Discussions on taking on cases are in the final stages,“ he said in a statement on Tuesday.
He also said the APHM and its member hospitals see this as an opportunity for the private hospitals to work with the Health Ministry and the government in facing this national crisis.
“We have the support of all private hospitals in cancelling electives and reducing non urgent consultation while some private hospitals have even started Covid-19 screening for walk-ins and drive-ins,“ he added.
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Penang govt allocates RM75m to disbursed as aid
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government will allocate up to RM75 million under an initiative to rejuvenate the economy that has been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (pix) said the money, in the form of financial incentives, will be disbursed in three components.
The first is directed at those considered most vulnerable. They include hawkers, petty traders, taxi drivers, trishaw peddlers e-hailing drivers, the disabled and those among the low income, or B40, group.
The second group to benefit from the incentive are the blue collar workers. Chow said the money is meant to help them survive and take care of their families.
The third component is to help ensure business continuity when the country gets through the crisis.
Chow, who made the announcement at his daily social media update to the public, said the state government would give a one-off payment of RM500 each to registered petty traders, hawkers, food truck vendors, tour guides, taxi drivers and trishaw peddlers.
E-hailing drivers will be given RM300 each.
Those who live in state public housing units will be exempted from paying rent for two months while those who lease lots at the wet markets, food courts and other similar facilities will not have to pay a month’s rent.
A total of RM3 million from zakat contributions has been set aside to help families of those who have contracted Covid-19.
Chow said the frontliners from the state’s two city councils will each get RM300 in recognition of their role in helping to curb the spread of the virus.
Others who will also benefit from the RM300 payout are uniformed personnel serving under the movement control order (MCO) initiative aimed to curtail the growth rate of Covid-19 infections.
A total of RM10 million has been set aside for the purchase of equipment such as protective suits, surgical masks, hand sanitizers and thermometers.
Entrepreneurs whose businesses have incurred losses as a result of the MCO will be given interest-free loans under the Penang Business Continuity plan. A total of RM30 million has been allocated for this purpose.
The 40 state assemblymen will be provided RM30,000 each to finance relief efforts for their constituents affected by the MCO.
The state will also defer payments for trading lots used by small-scale businesses.
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UK has enough intensive care units for coronavirus, expert predicts
Neil Ferguson, whose modelling has informed the UK’s coronavirus strategy, says that the need for intensive care beds will come close to, but not exceed, national capacity
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Ensuring continuity of TB services during the COVID-19 pandemic
GENEVA As the world comes together to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that essential health services and operations are continued to protect the lives of people with TB and other diseases or health conditions. Health services, including national programmes to combat TB, need to be actively engaged in ensuring an effective and rapid response to COVID-19 while ensuring that TB services are maintained.
In the lead- up to World TB Day, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General emphasized in a news release, “COVID-19 is highlighting just how vulnerable people with lung diseases and weakened immune systems can be. The world committed to end TB by 2030; improving prevention is key to making this happen.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Programme, along with WHO regional and country offices, has developed an information note, in collaboration with stakeholders. This note is intended to assist national TB programmes and health personnel to urgently maintain continuity of essential services for people affected with TB during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by innovative people-centred approaches, as well as maximizing joint support to tackle both diseases.
“We stand in solidarity with those affected by COVID-19 and those at the frontlines of the fight to combat the disease,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme. “We need to act with urgency to ensure that in line with our vision of Health for All, no one with TB, COVID-19 or any health condition will miss out on the prevention and care they need. It’s time for action.”
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World TB Day 2020: It’s Time for solidarity
At this unique time in history when the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes stands in solidarity with governments and communities as they seek to maintain health services
and continue to address the needs of patients suffering from HIV and tuberculosis (TB).Despite being preventable and treatable, tuberculosis remains the world’s biggest infectious killer and the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLHIV), responsible for 32% of the 770 000 lives lost to HIV in 2018. People
living with HIV are far more vulnerable (nearly 20 times more) to TB infection than people without HIV and are three times more likely to die during TB treatment.While there are proven interventions that reduce TB deaths – such as provision of TB preventive treatment, adoption of novel diagnostics for earlier TB diagnosis and linkage to treatment, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) – we are far behind
in scaling these up, and diagnostic and treatment gaps remain, with only half of estimated TB cases among PLHIV reaching care in 2018, only half of estimated PLHIV with TB receiving ART, and less than half of PLHIV new on ART initiating TB preventive
treatment in a subset of countries which reported globally.On this World TB Day, WHO highlights two key interventions to reduce unnecessary TB deaths among PLHIV:
- (1) provision of TB preventive treatment for all eligible PLHIV; and
- (2) increased uptake of newer diagnostic tests such as the lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan assay (TB-LAM.)
As the new Director for the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes, I support current efforts to continue and to take to scale TB activities. It’s Time for solidarity!
-Meg Doherty, Director Global HIV, hepatitis and STI Programmes, WHOHIV programmes are encouraged to ensure that TB preventive treatment, including shorter WHO-recommended regimens, with updated guidance launched today, are provided to all eligible PLHIV as part of a routine package of care, including provision of ART, and that treatment completion is ensured.
In recent months, WHO has also released guidelines for use of a bedside urine TB-LAM test to accelerate earlier TB diagnosis, with significantly expanded eligibility criteria. As this test is “point of care” with the potential for earlier
TB diagnosis and treatment initiation, HIV programmes should consider these recommendations as they enhance strategies for TB diagnosis among PLHIV, including as part of a routine package of advanced HIV care.It’s Time to urgently scale up TB preventive treatment and TB diagnosis and strengthen referral and linkages to TB treatment at HIV service delivery points in all countries and continue to scale-up ART among PLHIV with TB. This applies to all populations
at risk, including children, pregnant women and marginalized groups, to ensure no one is left behind.WHO calls for continued collaboration in countries across health programmes for harmonized and integrated policies and service delivery, and engagement with communities and other sectors. Unless HIV programmes scale up interventions to close these
gaps in prevention, diagnosis and treatment both for TB and HIV, countries and their development partners will not meet our common target: a 75% reduction in TB deaths among PLHIV between 2010 and 2020. HIV mortality cannot be reduced without addressing
the leading cause: tuberculosis.
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WHO Information Note: Ensuring continuity of TB services during the COVID-19 pandemic
As the world comes together to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that essential health services and operations are continued to protect the lives of people with TB and other diseases or health conditions. Health services, including national programmes to combat TB, need to be actively engaged in ensuring an effective and rapid response to COVID-19 while ensuring that TB services are maintained.
In the lead- up to World TB Day, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General emphasized in a news release, “COVID-19 is highlighting just how vulnerable people with lung diseases and weakened immune systems can be. The world committed to end TB by 2030; improving prevention is key to making this happen.”
WHO Global TB Programme, along with WHO regional and country offices, has developed an information note, in collaboration with stakeholders. This note is intended to assist national TB programmes and health personnel to urgently maintain continuity of essential services for people affected with TB during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by innovative people-centred approaches, as well as maximizing joint support to tackle both diseases.
“We stand in solidarity with those affected by COVID-19 and those at the frontlines of the fight to combat the disease,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme. “We need to act with urgency to ensure that in line with our vision of Health for All, no one with TB, COVID-19 or any health condition will miss out on the prevention and care they need. It’s time for action.”
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