| KATH Undertakes Corneal Transplant For Seven Patients
A medical team from the Moran Eye Centre at the University of Utah in the United States of America, in conjunction with its counterpart at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, has successfully undertaken corneal transplant for seven patients who were suffering from various eye defects.
The successful surgery was the first of its kind at the KATH by medical officers and the patients were among 250 patients who were screened by the medical team.
The exercise was intended to offer relief to the patients and also build the capacity of the KATH medical team for its future endeavours.
The cost of the corneal transplant was estimated at 15 million, but the patients, who benefited from the exercise, paid a token of 300,000. Those with minor eye diseases were treated free of charge.
US firms could move in on Cdn health-care if private clinics used ...
TORONTO (CP) - Relying on private clinics to help deliver on Canada's medical wait-times strategy could result in giant American health-care providers clamouring for access to the Canadian market, former British health minister Frank Dobson warned Monday. A key plank of the federal Conservative's election platform, wait-time guarantees could see patients who are denied timely care within their own community travel to another city or province, or get care at private clinics. The problem, as Dobson sees it, is that allowing private, for-profit companies to play a bigger role could eventually weaken Canada's public health-care system to the point where U.S.-based health management organizations would attempt to move in. "The big companies will start pressing the American government and saying 'under World Trade Organization rules, there should be a free, open international market in health care in Canada,' " Dobson told a news conference at the Ontario legislature.
Territories, Ottawa announce wait-time guarantees
The federal and territorial governments say they have agreed on health-care wait-time guarantees, with the Yukon to focus on mammographies, Nunavut on diagnostic imaging and the Northwest Territories on primary health care. Federal Health Minister Tony Clement announced guarantees on Wednesday, saying his government would maintain flexibility with the territories since they rely on nearby provinces for patients' serious medical operations. "As smaller jurisdictions, the territories face some unique challenges when it comes to timely health-care delivery," said Clement, who was in Yellowknife for the announcement. "They are … very much connected with the southern provinces and their health-care systems. And we are aware of that and that's formulated part of our discussions with provinces like Ontario and Saskatchewan and Alberta and British Columbia." Clement's announcement was part of the Conservative government's plan to reduce wait times across the country in five key treatment areas: cancer care, hip and knee replacement, cardiac care, diagnostic imaging, cataract surgeries and primary care.
Laser iridotomy shows efficacy as prophylactic treatment for PAC ...
Laser peripheral iridotomy significantly lowered IOP and increased angle width in most patients with suspected primary angle closure, a prospective study found. However, one-fifth of patients had residual angle closure postoperatively, the authors noted. Mingguang He, MD, MPH, of University College London, and colleagues evaluated laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) outcomes for 72 Chinese patients with suspected bilateral primary angle closure (PAC). Surgeons operated on a single eye, chosen randomly, in each patient. At 2 weeks' follow-up, investigators found that mean IOP had significantly decreased by 3 mm Hg. Axial anterior chamber length had not significantly changed, although median limbal anterior chamber depth increased from 15% to 25% of peripheral corneal thickness, the authors reported.
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