Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Editorial, Opinion Piece Respond To Closure Of Murdered Abortion Provider Tiller's Clinic
Two newspapers recently published an editorial and an opinion piece in reaction to the announcement that murdered Kansas abortion provider George Tiller"s Wichita clinic would be permanently closed. The clinic was one of a handful in the U.S. offering abortion procedures in the second and third trimesters. Summaries appear below.~ Kansas City Star: The closing of Tiller"s clinic is "a tragedy for American democracy," and the "irrational violence" of his death has "trumped public policy," a Star editorial states. "The basis of civilization is that we agree to submit to the rule of law in order for society to flourish," the editorial says, adding that Tiller"s murder is "antithetical to that principle. It is dismaying to see a killer achieve his objective." The editorial notes that Tiller provided abortion services in "tragic cases" involving women "at risk of infertility or death; fetuses with severe abnormalities; and victims of rape and incest." It continues that the "reduction or loss of that service will create hardships and may put women"s lives at risk." Hospitals and doctors who refer such cases to abortion providers "must reassess the circumstances under which they would perform late-term abortions," according to the editorial. In addition, the "medical profession must take a role in training and supporting doctors willing to provide abortions," and the government and local police "must do all they can to protect a legal medical practice," the editorial says. It concludes, "Democracy demands that we not allow murder to make de facto public policy" (Kansas City Star, 6/11).~ Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune: The announcement that Tiller"s clinic will remain permanently closed "was simply more proof that violence and intimidation can get results where civil discourse and political process fail," Tribune columnist Zorn writes. "The question isn"t whether prominent foes of abortion rights are being honest with us when they decry Tiller"s violent death and express regret over the means used to achieve an end they"ve sought," Zorn writes, adding, "Some are, I"m sure." He continues that abortion-rights opponents "recognize that ... a movement calling itself "pro-life"can"t also be pro-murder" and "are politically savvy enough to know that the gains won by terrorist acts are grudging and difficult to sustain." He continues that to "make terrorism less effective, and thereby discourage it," abortion-rights advocates, the medical profession, politicians and law enforcement officials "need to reopen that clinic in Wichita and assure its safe operation ... to defy terrorism, if for no other reason." He concludes that "as long as abortion remains legal, this same coalition needs to strive to expand the number of facilities where it"s available" (Zorn, Chicago Tribune, 6/11).
generic viagra online
Active Commuters On Track For Healthy Hearts
A new study published yesterday looked at "active commuters" who biked or walked to work, and reported they had reduced cardiovascular risk factors. Commenting on the study (1), Ellen Mason, Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said:
News of the day
Maryland ICU Patients Connected To Remote Critical Care Staff, Improving Qualtiy And Safety
Maryland intensive care patients will now be connected by voice, video and data lines to specialized physicians and nurses at a tertiary care referral center 130 miles away. A year after announcing six, independent Maryland hospitals, with a $3 million grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, were joining together to provide state-of-the-art critical care to their patients, the first hospital, Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick, Md., is fully online with the sophisticated care system.
Nutrition

Walking Blood Bank, UK

World Blood Donor Day is being celebrated across the world at the weekend (14th June) but there will be nowhere like the walking blood bank on board the world"s largest charity hospital ship. Volunteers on board theAfrica Mercy, run by the international charity Mercy Ships, provide an instant and accessible of blood for the thousands of patients that Mercy Ships help save every year. There are no facilities to store blood onboard the ship so, for the patients who need blood during and after surgery, the volunteers on board donate it there and then. Ali Herbert, a theatre nurse from Gloucester has been volunteering on board the Africa Mercy for six months and is called upon regularly to donate blood. She said: "Mercy Ships has a very unique blood bank. The most recent time I was called upon to donate blood I was working in the operating theatre but giving blood is a priority. "The process of giving blood is not so different from home. What is very different however is seeing it being checked and given to a patient in one of the ICU beds within three minutes. There is no need for a blood warmer! "On this occasion, my blood was being used for a woman who, later that day, was having a below the knee amputation but was actually too ill to have surgery that day. It is not very common that you meet the person your blood is going to so seeing exactly where your blood is going and meeting the person it is helping is very rewarding." At any one time, Mercy Ships has about 30 potential donors for each blood type on board the Africa Mercy, all of whose blood has been checked on arrival. The lab onboard the Africa Mercy compares the patient blood samples, which are taken and tested upon admission, with the potential donors. Volunteers can be called upon day or night to give a pint of blood with the donation often being walked straight over to the patient for transfusion while it is still warm. Mercy Ships, is an international charity that providing free medial and humanitarian care to the world"s poorest people and the Africa Mercy embarked on a 10-month outreach to Benin in February. Since then, 54 units of blood have been donated to 21 patients. Judy Polkinhorn, Executive Director of Mercy Ships UK said: "Donating blood is a selfless act and blood transfusions save millions of lives every year, including on the Africa Mercy. "Our volunteers range from doctors and nurses, to cooks, cleaners and engineers but all have the opportunity to save a life by donating their blood - and many do. Mercy Ships only exists because of our volunteers giving their time and experience to help those most in need and many of our patients exist today because a volunteer also gave them their blood. "We are extremely grateful and thankful to all or volunteers and truly believe they are a unique group of individuals." Over the last 30 years, Mercy Ships has worked in over 70 countries providing services valued at more than ÷£450million. The international charity has treated more than 230,000 people in village medical clinics, performed more than 41,000 surgeries, 205,000 dental treatments and completed over 1,000 community development projects focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture. Mercy Ships UK


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009