Why need to apply medical card

Why need to apply medical card

February 13, 2010

 

 In modern era, medical cost is very high. Medical expenses is rising and it make sense that many of us get problem when get sick. Most of us prefer government hospital instead of private hospital. Government hospital has limited expert and the increase of patient will make us wait and queue to get medical treatment. It is make danger especially for critical or emergency sickness.
That’s the problem that we must avoid. Private hospital is an alternative for us but their costing is very high. To pay cash for their medical treatment fee is impossible. Medical card is an alternative way to settle your private medical bills. Modern medical card not only covered medical bill, it also have with life protection. This is good if something bad happen to you but if your life is safe, you will be paid for your saving or retirement fund.
Most of private hospital accepts the medical card because they can claim more at the provider. That’s the important for us who don’t have big cash. Just show them your medical card and you will need to paid small amount from the bill.
It is the basic thing about medical card but you must know that the medical card is not a health insurance. Lately, most of individual insurance provide with medical card. You must check first before applying the medical card. Check T&C and compare their advantage because not all of the company gives good offer. 

 http://yourhealthblog.net/why-need-to-apply-medical-card/

Myanmar: Victims of Recent Clashes Must Have Access to Health Care

Myanmar: Victims of Recent Clashes Must Have Access to Health Care YANGON, MYANMAR, June 18, 2012—Continuing violence and deep communal divisions in Rakhine State, Myanmar, are preventing people from receiving emergency medical treatment, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said today. MSF was forced to suspend most of its medical activities in Rakhine State when violence erupted on June 9, putting the organization’s clinics and staff in danger. “MSF is extremely worried that victims of the clashes are not receiving emergency care, and about the ongoing healthcare needs of our patients,” said Joe Belliveau, MSF operations manager. “Our immediate concerns are to provide emergency medical services, get food and supplies to people, and ensure our HIV patients continue receiving their lifesaving treatment.” In their effort to find a safe haven, people from Rakhine are trying to flee the violence for southern Bangladesh but are reportedly being denied access to the country. MSF provides medical services in Bangladesh, and is ready to treat anyone in need of assistance, regardless of origin. “People seeking refuge and who are in need of food, water, and medical care should be allowed to cross the border,” continued Belliveau. “In both Myanmar and Bangladesh, MSF is trying to reach those affected by the violence, but they should also be allowed to reach us.” In Rakhine, MSF has been providing medical services for 20 years, focusing on maternal health and infectious diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, HIV/AIDS, and TB. In 2011, MSF conducted more than 487,000 medical consultations. More than 600 people receive anti-retroviral treatment (ART) for HIV/AIDS. In addition to meeting immediate emergency needs, the resumption of MSF’s regular medical programs is critical for the longer-term health and well-being of people from all communities throughout the state. In all of its activities worldwide, MSF’s sole aim is to ensure that the most vulnerable people—regardless of ethnicity, origin or religion—receive the medical humanitarian assistance they require. MSF’s medical program in Myanmar is one of its largest anywhere in the world. MSF is the country’s main AIDS treatment provider and has been at the forefront of the fight against malaria. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=6080&cat=press-release

How technology has transformed medicine

Karen Boruff

 

 

 

 

Technology has undoubtedly changed every aspect of our lives, especially over the last two hundred years, and in no industry is that more evident than the field of medicine. For thousands of years, people have been tinkering, designing, and exploring in an attempt to unlock the mysteries and complexities of the human body. Over time, machines began to play a larger role in medicine, as innovators developed new and better ways to diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses. As healthcare continues to evolve, so does medical technology and its use in every aspect of the care continuum. History is full of examples of how technology has revolutionized medicine; here are just a few of the most important innovations in the history of medicine.

 

Stethoscope
No other symbol identifies a doctor more than a stethoscope. For centuries physicians relied on percussion and auscultation – listening to chest sounds and heartbeats by pressing the ear to the chest – to assess cardiac health. Invented by Rene Laennec in 1816, the stethoscope was groundbreaking because it led to better descriptions of heart sounds and improved ability to distinguish among various murmurs and rhythmic disturbances, as well as respiratory and gastrointestinal functions. The stethoscope has become the singular symbol of physicians and has become one of the most trusted tools that physicians use for physical diagnosis.

Diagnostic Imaging
A machine that also transformed the way doctors diagnosed and treated diseases is the X-ray. Discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895, X-rays allowed physicians to peer deep into the body without exploratory surgery. The use of x-rays quickly expanded, including to the treatment of cancer, until it was found that the radiation cause severe burns and was linked to actually causing cancer. Safety measures were developed and soon scientists were building off the technology to create other devices such as computerized tomography, also known as CT or CAT scans, magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, ultrasound, and positron emission Tomography (PET).

Electrocardiography
For hundreds of years, scientists and physicians studied the effects of electricity on the human body and developed ways to use it in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries and diseases. In the late 1800s physicians attached wires to various points on the body to record patients’ heartbeats, but the real breakthrough came in 1902 when Willem Einthoven used his string galvanometer – the earliest form of an ECG machine - to record the first electrocardiogram. Einthoven won the Nobel Prize for his discovery and electrocardiography (ECG) is still considered one of the most reliable tools for measuring the rate and regularity of heartbeats, detecting defects and damage to the heart, and the effects of drugs or devices used to regulate heart rhythm.

Germ Theory, Vaccines and Antibiotics
Some of the most important discoveries that revolutionized medicine were not machines, but rather discoveries of how the disease process works in the body and how to treat and prevent illnesses. Louis Pasteur is often credited with establishing the germ theory of disease, but scientists and physicians for centuries believed that microscopic organisms were the cause of diseases and could potentially be killed or treated with natural substances. As this understanding grew, Pasteur built on the discovery by Edward Jenner in the 1770s that small amounts of a live virus could be injected into a human to prevent that person from becoming infected with the disease. Widespread use of the vaccines led to the near-eradication of once-epidemic diseases such as cholera, smallpox, polio, and tuberculosis. Then in 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered that penicillin was effective in destroying certain types of bacteria. These discoveries revolutionized medicine and led to broader uses of germ-killing agents beyond the practice of medicine.
These are just a few examples of how technology has changed medicine and every day scientists, physicians and innovators continue to develop new devices, drugs and procedures that allow people to live longer healthier lives. The use of technology is expending into the business of healthcare, with the widespread adoption of electronic medical records, use of mobile devices and telemedicine, and the electronic exchange of health information. With everything else, medical technology is going smaller – nanotechnology is being developed in everything from drugs to implants to surgical tools. As we look to the future of medicine and remark on the innovations being discovered today, it is important to recognize and pay homage to the forward-thinkers that paved the way for modern medicine.

http://www.examiner.com/article/how-technology-has-transformed-medicine

Eye injury: Tips to protect vision

An eye injury can damage vision and cause blindness. Find out how to prevent eye injuries at home and at work.

By Mayo Clinic staff An eye injury can happen just about anywhere — in the kitchen, on the job or even at the playground. All it takes is a flying champagne cork or a shooting rubber band. Take simple steps to reduce the risk of an eye injury and understand when to see a doctor.

What can you do to prevent an eye injury?

To prevent an eye injury, follow these safety tips:

• Wear protective eyewear during risky activities. Wear safety glasses with side shields anytime you might be exposed to flying particles, objects or dust. Wear goggles when exposed to chemicals — even if you're just a bystander. Protective eyewear counts during sports, too. Any sport featuring a ball, racket or flying object poses a potential risk of eye injury.
• Take caution with chemicals and cleaners. Carefully read the labels of chemicals and household cleaning supplies, such as bleach, before using them. Don't mix products. Keep all chemicals and sprays out of a child's reach.
• Supervise your child's use of tools. Pencils, scissors, forks and penknives can all cause serious eye injury. Keep in mind that common household items — such as paper clips, bungee cords, wire coat hangers, rubber bands and fishhooks — also can be dangerous.
• Avoid certain children's toys. Don't allow your child to play with nonpowder rifles, such as pellet guns or BB guns. Avoid projectile toys, such as darts, bows and arrows, and missile-firing toys.
• Be careful when cooking or using hot objects. Use grease shields to prevent the splattering of hot grease or oil. Avoid using a curling iron near your eyes.
• Eliminate hazards that may cause falls. Secure rugs and railings. Consider covering sharp furniture edges and corners with a cushioning material, especially if a child or elderly adult lives in your home.
• Forgo backyard fireworks. Leave fireworks to trained professionals.
• Take caution when opening a champagne bottle. Don't shake the bottle. Point the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from yourself and any bystanders. Firmly place your palm over the cork while removing the wire hood. Place a towel over the entire top of the bottle, grasp the cork and slowly twist the bottle until the cork is almost out of the neck. To prevent the cork from being discharged like a missile, maintain slight downward pressure on the cork just as it comes out of the bottle.
• Use car seats. Make sure your child is properly secured in a car seat and that the seat belt or shoulder belt fits tightly. Don't allow a child age 12 or younger to ride in the front seat. Store loose items in your trunk or secure them to the floor of your vehicle.

What are the signs and symptoms of an eye injury?

It's not always easy to identify an eye injury — especially in a child. Seek medical care immediately if you notice any of these signs or symptoms:

• Obvious pain or trouble seeing
• A cut or torn eyelid
• One eye not moving as well as the other eye
• One eye sticking out or seeming more prominent compared with the other
• An unusual pupil size or shape
• Blood in the white part of the eye
• An object on the eye or under the eyelid that can't easily be removed

What can you do if an eye injury occurs?

When an eye injury occurs, seek medical help from an ophthalmologist or another doctor as soon as possible — even if the injury seems minor. Delaying care could lead to permanent vision loss or blindness. In addition, take simple steps to prevent further damage. For example:

• Don't touch, rub or apply pressure to the eye
• Don't try to remove an object that appears stuck on the surface of the eye or an object that appears to have penetrated the eye
• Don't apply ointment or medication to the eye
• Flush out any chemicals the eye has been exposed to with plenty of clean water
• Gently place a shield or gauze patch over the eye until you can get medical attention

An accident can happen in the blink of an eye. Being prepared — both through prevention and quick action in case of an emergency — can help keep you and your loved ones seeing clearly.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eye-injury/MY01614/NSECTIONGROUP=2