34 face charges in southern Vietnam health scandal 

November 3, 2011  about Social

The front door of Dr Nguyen Duy Tu's house in Ca Mau Province was broken by a crowd furious over a teenage girl's death.

Police in the southern province of Ca Mau have asked prosecutors to charge 34 people for attacking local doctors’ houses in protest of their irresponsibility in the death of a 17-year-old girl in June, Tuoi Tre reported on October 26.
Le Thanh Son, chief of Nam Can District’s police division, said in the newspaper that the people face charges of “disrupting public disorder,” “deliberately damaging others’ properties,” and “acting against people who are on public mission.”
According to police’s findings, on June 28, Duong Thi Thu Huyen was brought to Nam Can District’s General Hospital in a coma after falling from a motorbike ridden by 24-year-old Le Quoc Lo.
Huyen fell while trying to stop Lo, who attempted to rape her, police said.
After a checkup, doctors concluded Huyen was fine, but she died the next day from brain injury.
Later, Huyen’s family together with locals took her body to the hospital, damaging the hospital and the houses of Tran Thien Thanh, director of the hospital, and Nguyen Duy Tu, who was on duty the day she was hospitalized.
In a report published on October 26, newswire Vietnamnet said the group’s outrage was provoked by Nguyen Hoang Long, 35.

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During the attack on the doctors’ houses, protestors also stole money and gold, causing damages worth more than VND400 million (US$19,120), the newswire reported.
Following the incident, Ca Mau province’s Department of Health suspended Tu for one year. Two other doctors and two health workers received warnings.
According to Tuoi Tre, police also have asked provincial prosecutors to charge Lo with “statutory rape.”

Thanh Nien News

Mosquitos in monsoon season are expected to increase

Mosquitos in monsoon season are expected to increase

The 2009 monsoon season will soon arrive in the Asian territories and culicine mosquito populations are expected to increase. "These mosquitoes may carry the virus that causes Japanese Encephalitis (JE), which kills 10-15,000 people each year," warned Fran Lessans, CEO of Passport Health, the largest provider of travel medical services in the U.S. A new vaccine called Ixiaro(R) has been approved by the FDA, and is ready for distribution in the United States. Some Passport Health's offices will have both JE-VAX(R) and Ixiaro(R) until JE-VAX(R) is phased out. "The new vaccine is good for adults over 18 so we still have to use JE-VAX(R) for the younger population," concluded Lessans. Both vaccines protect against JE.

Monsoons flood areas with fresh rain water and this attracts culicine mosquitoes which may carry the virus that causes Japanese Encephalitis. 30,000-50,000 people are infected each year.

China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand have seen epidemics of Japanese Encephalitis. The CDC explains that the disease is controlled primarily by vaccination in these areas. "Vaccination is the best prevention for this potentially deadly disease," cautioned Lessans, whose clients' number one travel destination is India, followed by China. "JE is endemic in northeastern India and we see outbreaks in China as well."

The new JE vaccine is given in a 2-shot series, 28 days apart, while JE-VAX(R) requires 3 doses. The FDA has approved the new vaccine and it is already available at some Passport Health offices.

Japanese Encephalitis is a serious infection which occurs in certain rural parts of Asia and it's transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. It causes the brain to swell and symptoms of severe infections include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, abnormal movements, occasional convulsions (especially in infants), coma, and paralysis. About 1 in 4 of such cases results in death.

"In addition to being vaccinated travelers need to know how to use the correct type of mosquito repellent and other precautionary measures," cautioned Lessans. She went on to offer some tips for travelers:

Remain in well-screened areas whenever possible
Wear clothes that cover most of the body
Use an insect repellent containing 20%-30% DEET on skin.
Spray Permethrin on clothes, bedding and mosquito nets

For more information visit www.passporthealthusa.com or call 888-499-(PASS)

India: India finally wakes up to swine flu

New Delhi: With the number of swine influenza cases increasing across the world, the health and civil aviation ministries have finally set up special counters at airports and seaports for enhanced surveillance and screening of passengers from nations hit by the outbreak. The counters were to be functional from Wednesday

Four counters each, just before the immigration, have been set up in the arrival and departure areas of Delhi and Mumbai airports. The counters will be manned by 40 doctors and 10 nurses each round-the-clock till fear of the flu subsides. Similar counters have been set up at other international airports.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security will grant temporary entry passes to health officialsfor easy access to high security zones.

Passengers from seven countries have been put on the scanner: Mexico, US, Canada, UK, Spain, New Zealand and Israel. They have to report the presence of fever, respiratory symptoms and details of visit to a flu-affected through a special form.

State health authorities have been told to identify hospitals near airports and seaports for tertiary care.

Pre-flight check-ups have been made mandatory for pilots and other crew, who have been trained to identify suspected flu cases on board.

DNA: India: India finally wakes up to swine flu

Condom Ringtone Launched in India to Promote HIV Awareness

As part of its work to fight the spread of HIV, the BBC World Service Trust has launched a novel ringtone in India designed to break down the social taboo of using condoms. The new advertising campaign, which features a 'condom a cappella' ringtone is also funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The strategy is to show social support for condoms, as this has a positive effect on use, and positions condoms as a product that men use to show they are responsible and care about themselves and their families. The creative idea of the ringtone winning approval from men and women of all ages reinforces that condoms mean good sense and those who know it are the real winners in life.
A advert showing the phone ringing out "condom, condom" at a wedding has been produced by the Trust.
Click here to watch the advert.
Creative director of the BBC World Service Trust, Radharani Mitra, states, ''Ringtones have become such personal statements that a specially created condom ringtone seemed just the right vehicle to define its user as a sensible person. We have always had a strong interactive, response-oriented element in this ongoing campaign. This downloadable ringtone provides yet another opportunity for our target audience to translate the message into an action point.
The very act of downloading and using this ringtone would have a counter effect on the inhibitions and taboos that can be associated with condoms. And it adds an element of fun and comfort to it.''
This original ringtone can be downloaded in India by SMSing ''CONDOM'' to 56887 (download charges apply) or free from anywhere worldwide on the website http://www.condomcondom.org/ .
The BBC World Service Trust is the international charity of the BBC, with an annual turnover of £17.6 million. Founded in October 1999, the trust works in 43 countries around the world using a variety of approaches including television and radio drama, advertisements and journalism training. The BBC World Service Trust focuses on health, governance and human rights, the environment and humanitarian response.
Posted to the site on 14th August 2008

Local kidney seller dies after two months

A 22-year-old man, who has been in a vegetative state for months after allegedly selling a kidney in China, passed away in his hometown in the south central province of Ninh Thuan Saturday.


In early May, To Cong Luan was transferred back to the province from Ho Chi Minh City-based Cho Ray Hospital as doctors couldn’t cure him.

His father, To Cong Son, said Luan’s health showed improvements in the last 20 days, but his conditions suddenly worsened on the last day.

He had even managed to eat a little soup instead of receiving food via tubes as before, said Son.

The father called on relevant authorities to speed up a probe into the alleged kidney sale racket in China which was the main reason for the young man’s death.

Last month, Son had petitioned the HCMC Police Department and the Prosecutors’ Office to investigate the case.

According to family and acquaintances, Luan, who was a college student in HCMC and also a hemophiliac, went to China late last year and had his left kidney removed.

He was transported back to HCMC in April by his girlfriend with many incisions on his belly.

Last month, the Medical Service Administration requested the city’s Health Department to confirm whether Luan’s case violated the law and investigate the existence of kidney trade rings in the city.

Earlier this year, police in the southern province of Soc Trang began investigating an alleged ring sending local people to China to sell kidneys, but no conclusions from the case have been made available.

Statistics by the Ministry of Health reveal Vietnam has 5,000-6,000 people suffering chronic kidney failure in the final stage who are in critical need of kidney transplant.

Source: Tuoi Tre

Reported by L. Truong

Pricey durian selling like hot cakes in Chennai

The demand for spiny durian fruit shoots up in Chennai, as the fruit is believed to possess medicinal qualities for increasing woman's estrogen hormone enabling her to conceive.

It is also said to be rich in carbohydrates, protein and fats.Under its hardy shell are sections of pale yellow flesh with a consistency that can be as soft and oozy as custard, along with a flavour that is nutty and sweet with hints of vanilla and an occasional bitter bite.The traders of durian in the markets of Chennai are receiving good response from the public even though it is costly."Durian fruit has good medical benefits and are rare to get. Though it is costlier, I bought it because it has good medicinal benefit for health," said Vinayakam, the trader.The durian tree is native to Southeast Asia, primarily Sumatra and Borneo, but could easily be transplanted to equatorial Africa, equatorial Central America, or Southern United States.The customers have to shell out around Rs 400 to 500 to enjoy the taste of the fruit."Durian fruits are usually available only in Thailand and Singapore. It's now in India. It tastes excellent and has medicinal benefits for pregnant ladies so people buy it a lot. Now, it is costing rupees 400 to 500 per piece and in off peak season, it costs 700 to 800 per piece of fruit," said Senthil Kumar, a shopkeeper.The fruit distinctive for its large size and unique odour is widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits."Thailand has aggressively commercialized the fruit and is exporting it around the world. Last year, it sold about 50 million durians abroad, worth about 90 million dollars.Copyright Asian News International