Category: Hospitals

Categories : Hospitals Medical IndustryTags :

Hospice Palliative Care Association Rebrands as the Association of Palliative Care Centres

On By ModernMedia

As of the 1st of September 2023, the Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA) is known as the Association of Palliative Care Centres (APCC).

“This rebranding is not just a visual change,” says Ewa Skowronska, CEO of the APCC. “It is an important message to all medical professionals and the public that our members (many of whom still refer to themselves as hospices) offer quality, specialised and expert palliative care services. Too many people equate hospice with end-of-life only and many medical professionals refer very late. This leads to thousands of patients, and their loved ones, missing out on the holistic support that palliative care provides – support that, ideally, should be from diagnosis of a life-threatening illness and not solely in the last few days of life.”

The rebrand includes a new logo element that reflects that palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatments and into end-of-life care, including bereavement support (if needed). 

“Our members adhere to the Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services, 4th edition, 2020 approved by the Council for Health Service Accreditation of South Africa (COHSASA) and the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua),” says Leigh Meinert, Advocacy and Operations Manager of APCC. “This is important as sometimes there is a perception that our members are only servicing patients who do not have private healthcare support and might not be at the same level as private organisations. In reality, they have decades of palliative care experience, and compliance with these Standards ensures an ongoing level of excellence.”

As much as 90% of APCC member’s services are provided to the patient in the comfort of their own home. The patient’s loved ones are also supported by way of an interdisciplinary team. Such a team typically consists of a medical doctor, nurse, social worker, and home-based carers who can work alongside the patient’s healthcare professional and support quality of life.

Palliative care covers conditions such as HIV/AIDS, drug-resistant TB, chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases, MND and more. “Both adults and children are catered for,” says Meinert. “While patients can move in and out of a palliative care service, they may remain beneficiaries of the services for as long as they (or their loved ones) need or wish to.  Patients may be discharged from the service if they are doing well and able to function independently.  This is always negotiated between the patient, family, and members of the care team. We encourage patients to engage with an APCC member from the point of diagnosis as this helps to dispel fears and provides insight into the holistic services that can be offered. We believe that all patients have benefitted from an improved quality of life through the supportive care received from APCC members.”

“APCC has a cloud-based patient care monitoring, evaluation and reporting system able to report in detail on interventions given to any patient,” says Skowronska. “Our members are comfortable working alongside the primary clinician or specialist.  They can provide a supportive extension of care to the patient and their loved ones and, in most cases, the APCC members inter-disciplinary teams collaborate and work alongside the referring doctors who are treating the patient. They also provide supportive care to the patient’s loved ones. This may include advanced healthcare planning, as well as psychosocial and spiritual support.” 

“Our palliative care definition says it all,” concludes Meinert. “Palliative care is the physical, psychological, social and spiritual care provided by an interdisciplinary team of experts to anyone with a life-threatening illness and their loved ones. Care is offered from the point of diagnosis and extends to bereavement support if needed. Over 90% of the care that APCC members provide is home-based with a focus on promoting quality of life.

We sincerely hope that this rebranding results in more people receiving the support that they so desperately need during some of the most difficult times in a person’s life.”

For more info, visit www.apcc.org.za

Categories : Healthcare Politics and Regulations HospitalsTags :

Concerns Raised at Public Health Conference over Freezing of Healthcare Worker Posts

On By ModernMedia

By Luvuyo Mehlwana for Spotlight

Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash

The National Treasury’s Cost Containment Letter sent to government departments instructing, among others, the freezing of posts was one of the big themes underlying talks about building South Africa’s healthcare worker capacity during the Public Health Association of South Africa’s (PHASA) conference held recently in Gqeberha.

With Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana expected to deliver the medium-term budget policy statement on 1 November, the freezing of posts will further hamstrung already strained health services, some presenters at the conference warned.

An oversight visit to TB hospitals by members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) in the Eastern Cape in the first week of September (5 to 8 September) showed just how bad the staff shortages are. The only remaining hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay dedicated to TB services, Jose Pearson Hospital in Bethelsdorp, has had staff vacancies hovering around 20% since 2019. The hospital provides dedicated TB services to the western part of the province. MPLs heard that in some other hospitals, vacancy rates are even higher, and non-filling of critical posts in some cases results in further medico-legal claims against the department, as the current staff buckles under massive patient loads.

Last year, in response to a parliamentary question, figures the health department released showed that there were 3 892 vacant healthcare worker posts in the province. In the nursing categories, there was a vacancy rate of 15.3%. For paramedics (EMS) the vacancy rate was 10.7%, medical practitioners 8.4%, and pharmacists 13.7%. By June this year, in another response relating to specialist nurses, the vacancy rate in the province had dropped to 13%.

Dr Prudence Ditlopo Senior Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, was presenting her research on the impact of nurse workloads and professional support on healthcare outcomes at the PHASA conference. Ditlopo said nurses already have a huge workload and issues around budget cuts impact morale. “I am sure they are asking themselves what will happen to [them] when we [they’re] already understaffed.

“This is not the first time that this monotonous cycle has been happening. Yes, we understand the economic side of it, but at the very same time, what does it say about the well-being of the nurse practice environment, the patients, and the quality of patient care? If nurses see that they are overwhelmed by the workload, they will make sure to find ways that will enable them to cope.

“Enable them to cope” means nurses will find a way that works for them. If what works for them is only seeing ten patients per day, they will do that and they will be gatekeepers for other patients who are coming to the facility. That alone will influence the quality and standard of care in primary care in South Africa,” said Ditlopo.

‘Will create more problems’

Dr Busisiwe Matiwane of the University of The Witwatersrand’s School of Public Health also weighed in on the implications of the Treasury letter.

“In the current system, health professionals have to work for the government to fulfil their community service obligations. However, it can be challenging for them to be assigned to specific hospitals when it is time for their community service. Additionally, with the government announcing a freeze on posts, many individuals who are not government-funded may be compelled to seek employment outside of the government after completing their community service,” Matiwane told delegates.

“If these posts are indeed frozen, does that mean that the government will also halt the placement of individuals who are required to complete community service? The current structure dictates that if you fail to fulfil your community service, you will not be recognised by the statutory bodies as an independent practitioner.

“The implication of this proposal by the government will create more problems, as we already face the challenge of health professionals’ placement or their community services,” she said. “The main concern is whether the posts will be frozen and what will be done. I think this concern has raised questions for many people, who wonder what it means if they are unable to complete their community service or the internship. Does it mean they cannot work?” she asked.

‘protect what is already there’

Speaking on the sidelines of the three-day conference, director of the Rural Health Advocacy Project, Russell Rensburg, said the wage agreement on a 4.5% increase for the public sector had Treasury’s back against the wall since that was not budgeted for in their February budget.

“Treasury is playing hardball and the provinces must decide what they need. The national government must also decide what they need. If they follow through on this, they won’t be able to sustain the public health system. There is concern that doctors will leave as part of cost containment measures, and you can’t run a healthcare system without healthcare workers. But we will only know the true position of the Treasury when they publish the medium-term budget policy statement,” said Rensburg.

“I believe at the moment they are just testing the market. They are saying we must have one thing, but we can’t have both, so that is the game they are playing. Our position is clear on this issue. Before any salary cuts or job freezes, we need to protect what is already there. We need to retain this year’s cohort of community service doctors, pharmacists, and nurses because these people helped us during COVID-19. Some were interns during COVID-19 and they are the core that can build the health service in the post-COVID-19 era. So, the immediate priority is to retain those posts because we don’t know if there will still be community service going forward,” said Rensburg.

‘working with what we have’

Several speakers and presenters at the PHASA conference raised concerns about the existing scarcity of healthcare workers and urged the Department of Health to take action. The experts, academics, researchers, students, non-governmental organisations, and civil society members all agree that healthcare is a fundamental human right, but that right won’t be fulfilled without healthcare workers, as there cannot be health services without workers. The government’s key policy document on human resources for health warned as far back as 2020 that the country is facing a critical shortage of healthcare workers.

Dr Krish Vallabhjee, former Chief Director of Strategy and Health Support in the Western Cape Health Department, believes that management must use whatever resources are available to achieve good results.

Vallabhjee said, “Budget cuts are a reality, so whatever we talk about here and in many of these conference sessions, we can’t be talking about wanting more and more. We need to work with what we have. How can we repurpose the people we have? Can’t we use them more effectively to achieve the same effect?” he asked.

“Managers need to work with their staff instead of just sitting in some corner and making budget cut decisions. Managers need to engage with staff to address the problem of not having enough budget. How do we work together? What are our priorities? As managers, we must listen to what people are saying on the ground. What are the doctors, nurses, and local managers saying? We must be united. [It should not be a thing that one hospital, clinic, and the district [are] fighting for their own piece. We are one department and we have this problem of a budget. How do we unite and do the best we can?”

Government will clarify

In a cabinet statement issued on 14 September, Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana would clarify the cost-containment letter issued on August 31.

“Cabinet appreciates the current fiscal constraints which are not unique to South Africa but have resulted in budget shortfall. Cabinet has iterated that measures to address the budget shortfall must not impact negatively on service delivery. The Minister of Finance will shortly issue guidelines clarifying the unintended misunderstanding arising from the Cost Containment Letter issued on 31 August 2023. In addition, as part of the in-year performance review of progress in implementation priorities agreed to with Ministers, the President, and Deputy President will meet with individual Ministers to ensure that fiscal management does not derail the agreed to priorities.”

Source: Spotlight

Categories : Diseases, Syndromes and Conditions HospitalsTags :

The Greater Clostridioides Difficile Threat may Come from Within

On By ModernMedia
Clostridioides difficile. Credit: CDC

Despite strenuous control efforts, hospital-acquired infections still occur – the most common of which is caused by the bacterium Clostridioides difficile, which creates lingering spores and resists alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Surprising findings from a new study in Nature Medicine suggest that the burden of C. diff infection may be less a matter of hospital transmission and more a result of characteristics associated with the patients themselves.

The study team, led by Evan Snitkin, PhD; Vincent Young, MD, PhD; and Mary Hayden, MD, leveraged ongoing epidemiological studies focused on hospital-acquired infections that enabled them to analyse daily faecal samples from every patient within the intensive care unit at Rush University Medical Center over a nine-month period.

Arianna Miles-Jay, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr Snitkin’s lab, analysed 1141 eligible patients, and found that a little over 9% were colonised with C. diff. Using whole genome sequencing at U-M of 425 C. difficile strains isolated from nearly 4000 faecal specimens, she compared the strains to each other to analyse spread. But she found that, based on the genomics, there was very little transmission.

Essentially, there was very little evidence that the strains of C. diff from one patient to the next were the same, which would imply in-hospital acquisition. In fact, there were only six genomically supported transmissions over the study period. Instead, people who were already colonised were at greater risk of transitioning to infection.

“Something happened to these patients that we still don’t understand to trigger the transition from C. diff hanging out in the gut to the organism causing diarrhoea and the other complications resulting from infection,” said Snitkin.

Hayden notes this doesn’t mean hospital infection prevention measures are not needed. In fact, the measures in place in the Rush ICU at the time of the study – high rates of compliance with hand hygiene among healthcare personnel, routine environmental disinfection with an agent active against C. diff, and single patient rooms were likely responsible for the low transmission rate. The current study highlights, though that more steps are needed to identify patients who are colonised and try to prevent infection in them.

Where did the C. diff come from? “They are sort of all around us,” said Young. “C. diff creates spores, which are quite resistant to environmental stresses including exposure to oxygen and dehydration…for example, they are impervious to alcohol-based hand sanitiser.”

However, only about 5% of the population outside of a healthcare setting has C. diff in their gut – where it typically causes no issues.

“We need to figure out ways to prevent patients from developing an infection when we give them tube feedings, antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors – all things which predispose people to getting an actual infection with C. diff that causes damage to the intestines or worse,” said Young.

The team next hopes to build on work on AI prediction for patients at risk of C. diff infection to identify patients more likely to be colonised and who could benefit from more focused intervention.

Said Snitkin, “A lot of resources are put into gaining further improvements in preventing the spread of infections, when there is increasing support to redirect some of these resources to optimise the use of antibiotics and identify other triggers that lead patients harbouring C. diff and other healthcare pathogens to develop serious infections.”

Source: Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan

Categories : Hospitals NeurologyTags :

New Evidence of Patients Recalling Death Experiences after Cardiac Arrest

On By ModernMedia

Up to an hour after cardiac arrest, some patients revived by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) had clear memories afterward of experiencing death and had brain patterns while unconscious linked to thought and memory, report investigators in the journal Resuscitation.

In a study led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, some survivors of cardiac arrest described lucid death experiences that occurred while they were seemingly unconscious. Despite immediate treatment, fewer than 10% of the 567 patients studied, who received CPR in the hospital, recovered sufficiently to be discharged. Of the survivors, four in 10 recalled some degree of consciousness during CPR not captured by standard measures.

The study also found that in a subset of these patients, who received brain monitoring, nearly 40% had brain activity that returned to normal, or nearly normal, from a “flatline” state, at points even an hour into CPR. As captured by EEG, the patients saw spikes in the gamma, delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves associated with higher mental function.

Survivors have long reported having heightened awareness and powerful, lucid experiences, say the study authors. These have included a perception of separation from the body, observing events without pain or distress, and a meaningful evaluation of their actions and relationships. This new work found these experiences of death to be different from hallucinations, delusions, illusions, dreams, or CPR-induced consciousness.

The study authors hypothesise that the “flatlined”, dying brain removes natural inhibitory (braking) systems. These processes, known collectively as disinhibition, may open access to “new dimensions of reality,” they say, including lucid recall of all stored memories from early childhood to death, evaluated from the perspective of morality. While no one knows the evolutionary purpose of this phenomenon, it “opens the door to a systematic exploration of what happens when a person dies.”

Senior study author Sam Parnia, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health and director of critical care and resuscitation research at NYU Langone, says, “Although doctors have long thought that the brain suffers permanent damage about 10 minutes after the heart stops supplying it with oxygen, our work found that the brain can show signs of electrical recovery long into ongoing CPR. This is the first large study to show that these recollections and brain wave changes may be signs of universal, shared elements of so-called near-death experiences.”

Dr Parnia adds, “These experiences provide a glimpse into a real, yet little understood dimension of human consciousness that becomes uncovered with death. The findings may also guide the design of new ways to restart the heart or prevent brain injuries and hold implications for transplantation.”

The AWAreness during REsuscitation (AWARE)-II study followed 567 adults who suffered in-hospital cardiac arrest between May 2017 and March 2020 in the US and UK. Only hospitalised patients were enrolled to standardise the CPR and resuscitation methods used, as well as recording methods for brain activity. A subset of 85 patients received brain monitoring during CPR. Additional testimony from 126 community survivors of cardiac arrest with self-reported memories was also examined to provide greater understanding of the themes related to the recalled experience of death.

The study authors conclude that research to date has neither proved nor disproved the reality or meaning of patients’ experiences and claims of awareness in relation to death. They say the recalled experience surrounding death merits further empirical investigation and plan to conduct studies that more precisely define biomarkers of clinical consciousness and that monitor the long-term psychological effects of resuscitation after cardiac arrest.

Source: Elsevier

Categories : General Interest HospitalsTags :

South Africa’s Traditional Medicines Should be Used in Modern Health Care

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Both the Khoi and the San believed in a mythical animal, resembling a cow, whose horns were thought to have medicinal attributes. This centuries-old medicine horn contained herbal remedies used by the Khoi-san. Credit: Rodger Smith

By Zelna Booth

Traditional medicines are part of the cultural heritage of many Africans. About 80% of the African continent’s population use these medicines for healthcare.

Other reasons include affordability, accessibility, patient dissatisfaction with conventional medicine, and the common misconception that “natural” is “safe”.

The growing recognition of traditional medicine resulted in the first World Health Organization global summit on the topic, in August 2023, with the theme “Health and Wellbeing for All”.

Traditional medicines are widely used in South Africa, with up to 60% of South Africans estimated to be reliant on traditional medicine as a primary source of healthcare.

Conventional South African healthcare facilities struggle to cope with extremely high patient numbers. The failure to meet the basic standards of healthcare, with increasing morbidity and mortality rates, poses a threat to the South African economy.

In my opinion, as a qualified pharmacist and academic with a research focus on traditional medicinal plant use in South Africa, integrating traditional medicine practices into modern healthcare systems can harness centuries of indigenous knowledge, increasing treatment options and provide better healthcare.

Recognition of traditional medicine as an alternative or joint source of healthcare to that of standard, conventional medicine has proven challenging. This is due to the absence of scientific research establishing and documenting the safety and effectiveness of traditional medicines, along with the lack of regulatory controls.

What are traditional medicines?

Traditional medicine encompasses a number of healthcare practices aimed at either preventing or treating acute or chronic complaints through the application of indigenous knowledge, beliefs and approaches. It incorporates the use of plant, animal and mineral-based products. Plant-derived products form the majority of treatment regimens.

Traditional medicine practices also have a place in ritualistic activities and communicating with ancestors.

South Africa is rich in indigenous medicinal fauna and flora, with about 2000 species of plants traded for medicinal purposes. In South Africa the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo are trading “hotspots”. The harvested plants are most often sold at traditional medicine muthi markets.

Uses of medicinal plants

Medicinal plants most popularly traded in South Africa include buchu, bitter aloe, African wormwood, honeybush, devil’s claw, hoodia, African potato, fever tea, African geranium, African ginger, cancer bush, pepperbark tree, milk bush and the very commonly consumed South African beverage, rooibos tea.

The most commonly traded medicinal plants in South Africa are listed below along with their traditional uses:

Buchu – Urinary tract infections; skin infections; sexually transmitted infections; fever; respiratory tract infections; high blood pressure; gastrointestinal complaints.

Bitter aloe – Skin infections; skin inflammation; minor burns.

African wormwood – Respiratory tract infections; diabetes, urinary tract disorders.

Honeybush – Cough; gastrointestinal issues; menopausal symptoms.

Devil’s claw – Inflammation; arthritis; pain.

Hoodia – Appetite suppressant.

African potato – Arthritis; diabetes; urinary tract disorders; tuberculosis; prostate disorders.

Fever tea – Respiratory tract infections; fever; headaches.

African geranium – Respiratory tract infections.

African ginger – Respiratory tract infections; asthma.

Cancer bush – Respiratory tract infections; menstrual pain.

Pepperbark tree – Respiratory tract infections; sexually transmitted infections.

Milk bush – Pain; ulcers; skin conditions.

Rooibos – Inflammation; high cholesterol; high blood pressure.

There are many ways in which traditional medicine may be used. It can be a drop in the eye or the ear, a poultice applied to the skin, a boiled preparation for inhalation or a tea brewed for oral administration.

Roots, bulbs and bark are used most often, and leaves less frequently. Roots are available throughout the year. There’s also a belief that the roots have the strongest concentration of “medicine”. Harvesting of the roots, however, poses concerns about the conservation of these medicinal plants. The South African government, with the draft policy on African traditional medicine Notice 906 of 2008 outlines considerations aimed at ensuring the conservation of these plants through counteracting unsustainable harvesting practises.

Obstacles to traditional medicine use

The limited research investigating interactions posed should a patient be making use of both traditional and conventional medicine is a concern.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients used traditional remedies for the prevention of infection or treatment.

Understanding which traditional medicines are being used and how, their therapeutic effects in the human body, and how they interact with conventional medicines, would help determine safety of their combined use.

Certain combinations may have advantageous interactions, increasing the efficacy or potency of the medicines and allowing for reduced dosages, thereby reducing potential toxicity. These combinations could assist in the development of new pharmaceutical formulations.

Sharing information

The WHO in its Traditional Medicine Strategy for 2014-2023 report emphasised the need for using traditional medicine to achieve increased healthcare.

Key role players from both systems of healthcare need to be able to share information freely.

The need for policy development is key. Both conventional and traditional medicine practitioners would need to be aware of and engage with patients on all the medicines they are taking.

Understanding the whole patient

Patients often seek treatment from both conventional and traditional sources, which can lead to side effects or duplication in medications.

A comprehensive understanding of a patient’s health profile makes care easier.

This could also prevent treatment failures, promote patient safety, prevent adverse interactions and minimise risks.

A harmonious healthcare landscape would combine the strengths of both systems to provide better healthcare for all.

Zelna Booth, Pharmacist and Academic Lecturer (Pharmacy Practice Division, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand), University of the Witwatersrand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Source: The Conversation

Categories : Ethics and Law HospitalsTags :

Whistleblower Spills More Details of Alleged Fraud at Mediclinic Hospitals

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

The furore over claims of fraudulent account manipulation happening at Mediclinic hospitals continues to grow, as the initial whistleblower responded to a challenge for more information by providing a detailed list of of starting points for investigators, according to Daily Maverick.

Widely reported in media outlets such as News24, Radio 702, and eNCA, the initial email alleged that hospital codes were being altered to ones which drew higher remunerations from medical aid schemes and therefore which financially benefitted the hospitals. They further claimed that no action was being taken against employees who were engaging in this practice, which was supposedly happening at six hospitals.

The Council for Medical Schemes noted that hospital charges to beneficiaries had increased by nearly 19% from R7039.74 in 2020 to R8346.40. Just over 92% of the total hospital expenditure was paid to private hospitals.

Greg van Wyk, CEO of Mediclinic Southern Africa, was also emailed among the initial recipients. He responded swiftly, writing in a reply to all the cc’d recipients last week that Mediclinic had appointed Steven Powell, head of law firm ENSafrica’s forensics practice, to head its independent audit.

The Mediclinic CEO also challenged the anonymous whistleblower to come forward and reveal themselves, the whistle-blower then responded with an email cc’d to medical schemes and the media. The email contained extensive of details of the alleged fraud – plenty of information for investigators to get started with.

The whistle-blower told News24 that, for example, “When a patient died in a hospital emergency room, sometimes Mediclinic case managers were expected to change their accounts to reflect an ICU death instead. This is because of the fixed fees associated with emergency room deaths, which are lower than ICU-related fees.”

Categories : HospitalsTags :

The Hospital Association of South Africa Welcomes the Day Hospital Association as a Member

On By ModernMedia
Photo by RDNE Stock project

The Day Hospital Association of South Africa (DHASA) has joined the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA), the representative organisation of private hospital groups in the country, including Netcare, Mediclinic, Life Healthcare, Lenmed, Joint Medical Holdings, and a range of leading facilities across the country like Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital and Arwyp Medical Centre.

Among the Day Hospital Association of South Africa members are the Advanced Health chain, Cure Day Hospitals, and various leading treatment facilities situated nationwide.

According to HASA Chief Executive Officer Dr Dumisani Bomela, DHASA perspectives on healthcare reform issues, like the National Health Insurance, will contribute to a rich healthcare reform discussion. 

He says, “Through HASA, the Day Hospital Association can provide additional critical perspectives that we believe are required in the collaborative approach that we are engaging in with Government to build a strong and accessible healthcare system for all in South Africa. We completely believe that the excellent leadership of DHASA will make full use of their membership in HASA to make their important contribution.”

The Chairman of the Day Hospital Association of South Africa, Raymond Foster, says “We are excited to be associated with HASA. We are confident that HASA will meet the expectations of our members.”

Categories : Hospitals Medical IndustryTags :

Allmed Healthcare Professionals Launches Cutting-Edge Pay Slip App Empowering Nurses

On By ModernMedia

15 August 2023

Allmed Healthcare Professionals, a leading healthcare agency, has launched its innovative Pay Slip App, designed to provide convenience and efficiency to its valued staff. The app, available for both Android and iPhone devices, revolutionises the pay slip distribution process, eliminating the need for staff to physically visit the office.

The development of the Pay Slip App began in January 2022 with the vision of addressing the challenges staff faced while collecting their pay slips. “We saw that our staff were spending time and money to come to our offices, which led to inefficiencies and unnecessary expenses,” explained Zukisani Sirwaxa, Operations Manager at Allmed. “Our goal was to save costs, improve accessibility, and streamline the entire process for our staff.”

The user-friendly app allows staff to access all their pay slips since they started working for Allmed, aiding them in financial planning and loan applications. Staff can easily check their pay details, including overtime, leaves, and earnings for specific shifts. This real-time access empowers staff to proactively manage their finances.

Karishma Dayaram, Business Unit Manager at Allmed, highlighted the app’s broader benefits, saying, “The Pay Slip App not only saves costs in printing and delivery but also frees up valuable staff time that was previously spent on manual processes. It enhances transparency and empowers our staff with immediate access to their essential pay information.”

Donald McMillan, Managing Director of Allmed, shared his excitement about the app’s unique features, stating, “As one of the first agencies to introduce such a dedicated Pay Slip App, we have been at the forefront of technology adoption in the industry. We are continuously exploring ways to improve the app’s functionality to meet our staff’s evolving needs.”

The Pay Slip App, developed in collaboration with a third-party developer, underwent a rigorous testing phase to ensure its efficiency and reliability. Since its launch, the app has received several thousand downloads, and Allmed has been proactive in addressing any technical challenges to ensure a seamless user experience.

Looking towards the future, Allmed envisions expanding the app’s functionalities to provide enhanced communication with our staff. “We are exploring the possibility of using the platform to share important updates, memos, and notices directly with our staff,” said Zukisani Sirwaxa. “This will further streamline our communication and foster a dynamic and connected community.”

As a forward-thinking company, Allmed recognises the importance of environmental responsibility. “We are also proud to align ourselves with the green initiative,” stated Donald McMillan. “By embracing digital solutions like the Pay Slip App, we are reducing paper usage and contributing to a sustainable future.”

Categories : COVID HospitalsTags :

Nose-picking Healthcare Workers Were More Likely to Get COVID

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

A study of healthcare workers (HCW) found that those who picked their nose were more likely to get COVID than the people who refrained from such explorations. The Dutch researchers published their probing results in the journal PLOS One.

In the early stages of the COVID pandemic, researchers noted a wide range of efforts to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, such as the wearing of personal protective equipment and maintaining social distancing, especially in the hospital setting. Much research went into the impacts of, eg, wearing glasses on the effectiveness of masking, but little if any attention was paid to a widespread but secretive habit.

Sikkens and colleagues retrospectively surveyed healthcare workers at Amsterdam University Medical Centers were in December 2021 about their behaviours during the first and second waves of the pandemic. They matched these responses were matched against prospectively collected COVID test results at the hospitals from March to October 2020. The nose pickers were nearly three times more likely to catch COVID (17.3% vs 5.9%) than those who refrained at all costs. Surprising results were found for those HCWs who owned up to the habit.

Secret nose pickers can take some comfort in that 85% of the cohort admitted that they picked their nose either daily, weekly, or monthly, and nose pickers tended to be younger. More men picked their nose (90%) than women (83%), and doctors were the most likely to be among the nose-picking offenders: 100% of residents admitted to it, along with 91% of specialists.

Sikkens et al. noted that one limitation of the study was that nose pickers were not asked about “the depth of penetration and eating of boogers”.

Other behaviours such nail biting, having a beard were not associated with COVID infection, nor was wearing glasses, though it showed a relevant trend. Interestingly, nose picking frequency was not linked to difference in COVID infection risk; 27% of those who reported monthly picking, 35% among weekly pickers, and 32% of daily pickers.

Frequency of nose picking did not appear to be linked with any difference in COVID infection risk, with positive cases in 27% of those who reported monthly picking, 35% among weekly pickers, and 32% of daily pickers. No participants reported picking their nose every hour, thankfully.

One-third of the cohort reported nail biting, two-thirds wore glasses, and 31% of the men had beards.

A study strength was that SARS-CoV-2 positivity was determined by prospective longitudinal serological sampling, though this may not be generalisable to the current era of vaccines and circulating Omicron variants. The retrospective nature of the survey may have introduced recall bias.

Sikken et al. noted that it is surprising that SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes had been so thoroughly researched, yet simple behaviours had been overlooked. “Possibly this sensitive subject is still taboo in the health care profession. It is commendable we assume HCWs to not portray bad habits, yet we too are only human after all, as illustrated by the pivotal proportion of nose pickers in our cohort (84.5%).”

Categories : Diseases, Syndromes and Conditions HospitalsTags :

How the Hospital Pathogen Acinetobacter Baumannii can Adapt so Quickly

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Acinetobacter baumannii is a notorious hospital pathogen, and there is great pressure to devise novel therapeutic approaches to combat this growing threat. German researchers have now detected an unexpectedly wide diversity of certain cell appendages known as pili in A. baumannii that are associated with pathogenicity. This finding, published in PLOS Genetics, could lead to treatment strategies that are specifically tailored to a particular pathogen.

Each year, over 670 000 people in Europe fall ill because of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and 33 000 die from the infections. Especially feared are pathogens with resistances against multiple, or even all, known antibiotics. One of these is the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, feared today above all as the “hospital superbug”: According to estimates, up to five percent of all hospital-acquired and one tenth of all bacterial infections resulting in death can be attributed to this pathogen alone. This puts A. baumannii right at the top of WHO’s list of pathogens for which there is an urgent need to develop new therapies.

Understanding which characteristics make A. baumannii a pathogen is one of the prerequisites for this. To this end, bioinformaticians led by Professor Ingo Ebersberger of Goethe University Frankfurt and the LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG) are comparing the genomes and the proteins encoded therein across a wide range of different Acinetobacter strains. Conclusions about which genes contribute to pathogenicity can be drawn above all from the differences between dangerous and harmless strains.

Due to a lack of suitable methods, corresponding studies have so far concentrated on whether a gene is present in a bacterial strain or not. However, this neglects the fact that bacteria can acquire new characteristics by modifying existing genes and thus also the proteins encoded by them. That is why Ebersberger’s team has developed a bioinformatics method to track the modification of proteins along an evolutionary lineage and has now applied this method for the first time to Acinetobacter in collaboration with microbiologists from the Institute for Molecular Biosciences and the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control at Goethe University Frankfurt.

In the process, the researchers concentrated on hair-like cell appendages, known as type IVa (T4A) pili, which are prevalent in bacteria and that they use to interact with their environment. The fact that they are present in harmless bacteria on the one hand and have even been identified as a key factor for the virulence of some pathogens on the other suggests that the T4A pili have repeatedly acquired new characteristics associated with pathogenicity during evolution.

The research team could show that the protein ComC, which sits on the tip of the T4A pili and is essential for their function, shows conspicuous changes within the group of pathogenic Acinetobacter strains. Even different strains of A. baumannii have different variants of this protein. This leads bioinformatician Ebersberger to compare the T4A pili to a multifunctional garden tool, where the handle is always the same, but the attachments are interchangeable. “In this way, drastic functional modifications can be achieved over short evolutionary time spans,” Ebersberger is convinced. “We assume that bacterial strains that differ in terms of their T4A pili also interact differently with their environment. This might determine, for example, in which corner of the human body the pathogen settles.”

The aim is to use this knowledge of the unexpectedly high diversity within the pathogen to improve the treatment of A. baumannii infections, as Ebersberger explains: “Building on our results, it might be possible to develop personalised therapies that are tailored to a specific strain of the pathogen.” However, the study by Ebersberger and his colleagues also reveals something else: Previous studies on the comparative genomics of A. baumannii have presumably only unveiled the tip of the iceberg. “Our approach has gone a long way towards resolving the search for possible components that characterize pathogens,” says Ebersberger.

Source: Goethe University Frankfurt