Donie's daily news Ireland Saturday

Irish Junior Doctors stage publicity stunt to protest against James Reilly’s health policies

  

More than 800 Irish based junior doctors have sent symbolic “boarding passes” to Health Minister James Reilly warning they may have to go abroad because of his health policies, including a cut in salaries for newly-appointed hospital consultants.

The campaign was organised by the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) which represents junior doctors who are also angry at the standard of training they are getting in hospitals as well as their long working weeks which can clock up to 80 hours.

Dr. Mark Murphy, chair of the IMO’s NCHD (junior doctor) committee, said: “We are approaching a crossroads for the NCHD grade in the Irish healthcare services. There is deep unease amongst my colleagues that medicine is becoming a tainted profession and that there is an agenda to portray the medical profession as though they are driven by greed.

”IMO president Dr Paul McKeown added: “These figures represent a deep well of disquiet and apprehension amongst some of the most talented and skilled young professionals in this country and they make me fear for the future delivery of medical care in our health service.

“We have put in place a policy that is leading to the export of our brightest and best and while we may not feel the repercussions for a few years, I have no doubt that our Health Service will suffer if these figures become a reality.

”Junior doctors who are appointed to a full-time consultant post will be paid lower salaries than existing specialists following a decision by the minister to pay new entrants 30pc less.

It means that new consultants will be paid €116,000 if they are on a contract allowing them to treat public and private patients or €121,000 if they are confined to public patients only

Families in Ireland dodging the dentist as cuts-backs bite home

    

As much as a million cash-strapped consumers are postponing dental treatments because of cutbacks to State schemes.

Patients are waiting until they feel pain before going to the dentist, which has resulted in a 93pc increase in the number of tooth extractions and a rise in gum disease and dental infections.

Nine in 10 dentists have reported a drop in attendances at their clinics. But 92pc have seen an increase in gum disease and 84pc have found a rise in dental infections.

Almost eight in 10 dentists say there has been an increase in the number of patients presenting with pain and the majority of professionals say State schemes are not now fit for purpose.

The dental crisis is starkly outlined in a survey of more than 300 dentists, carried out on behalf of the Irish Dental Association and published today.

It found that almost one in three people had postponed treatment because of restrictions to the Medical Card and PRSI schemes.

A similar number — equating to 1.1 million people — said they expected to visit the dentist less frequently from now on due to the cutbacks.

Head of the IDA’s General Practice Group, Dr Peter Gannon, described the findings as “alarming”.

Continuing lack of clarity over entitlements meant large numbers of people were neglecting their dental health and only visiting their dentist when forced to do so by pain.

“I am concerned that we are returning to the days of extractions and dentures,” said Dr Gannon.

“We know already that dental decay is the most common chronic disease affecting Irish children and these findings indicate that dental decay, gum disease and dental infections are rising across all age groups.

“It’s clear a ‘silent epidemic’ of dental and oral disease is affecting a significant proportion of the population and this underlines the need for people to prioritise their oral health,” he said.

Dr Gannon called on the Government to commit extra resources to both schemes immediately, to introduce a National Oral Health Policy and appoint a Chief Dental Officer to the Department of Health.

Bread that lasts for 60 days could cut food waste

  

An American company has developed a technique that it says can make bread stay mould-free for 60 days.

The bread is zapped in a sophisticated microwave array which kills the spores that cause the problem.

The company claims it could significantly reduce the amount of wasted bread – in the UK alone, almost a third of loaves purchased.

The technique can also be used with a wide range of foods including fresh turkey and many fruits and vegetables.

World of waste

Food waste is a massive problem in most developed countries. In the US, figures released this year suggest that the average American family throws away 40% of the food they purchase – which adds up to $165bn (£102bn) annually.

Bread is a major culprit, with 32% of loaves purchased in the UK thrown out as waste when they could be eaten, according to figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The machine uses similar technology to a home microwave

One of the biggest threats to bread is mould. As loaves are usually wrapped in plastic, any water in the bread that evaporates from within is trapped and makes the surface moist. This provides excellent growing conditions forRhizopus stolonifer, the fungus that leads to mould.

In normal conditions, bread will go mouldy in around 10 days.

But an American company called Microzap says it has developed a technique that will keep the bread mould free for two months.

At its laboratory on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, chief executive Don Stull showed off the long, metallic microwave device that resembles an industrial production line. Originally designed to kill bacteria such as MRSA and salmonella, the researchers discovered it could kill the mould spores in bread in around 10 seconds.

“We treated a slice of bread in the device, we then checked the mould that was in that bread over time against a control, ” he explained.

“And at 60 days it had the same mould content as it had when it came out of the oven.”

Question of taste

The machine the team has built uses much the same technology as found in commercial microwaves – but with some important differences, according to Mr Stull.

“We introduce the microwave frequencies in different ways, through a slotted radiator. We get a basically homogeneous signal density in our chamber – in other words, we don’t get the hot and cold spots you get in your home microwave.”

The company’s device has attracted plenty of interest from bread manufacturers – but it is worried that it could push up costs in an industry where margins are very tight.

And there is also a concern that consumers might not take to bread that lasts for so long. Mr Stull acknowledges it might be difficult to convince some people of the benefits.

“We’ll have to get some consumer acceptance of that,” he said. “Most people do it by feel and if you still have that quality feel they probably will accept it. “

Mr Stull believes that the technology could impact bread in other ways. He said that bread manufacturers added lots of preservatives to try and fight mould, but then must add extra chemicals to mask the taste of the preservatives. If bakers were able to use the microwave technology, they would be able to avoid these additives.

While a wholesale change in the bread industry might be difficult to achieve, there may be more potential with other foods, including ground turkey.

In 2011, food giant Cargill had to recall 16 million kg of the product after a salmonella outbreak. Mr Stull believes that using microwaves would be an effective way of treating this and several other products ranging from jalapenos to pet foods.

The only fruit that his device was unable to treat effectively were cantaloupes.

“We’ve used our tumbler machine to treat them, he says “but you can’t tumble cantaloupes because they damage.”

Sinn Féin claim Coalition are ‘targeting children in budget’

   

Sinn Féin says the latest budget leaks about cuts to child benefit shows the coalition is “planning to go after children”. 

A €10 cut across the board in the payment has been pencilled into Brendan Howlin’s portion of the budget for next Wednesday.

Pearse Doherty claimed that: “It was the children’s shoes before, now it’s taking the clothes off their backs. But it doesn’t surprise me.”

Meanwhile, one member of the Cabinet says reports of major rows between ministers are “grossly exaggerated”.

Ministers gathered twice yesterday for special budget meetings with health and social protection the main areas for discussion.

Sources say exchanges in the cabinet room have turned into blazing rows at times and although Richard Bruton didn’t deny the heated exchanges, he said they have been blown out of proportion

Ministers return to planning the budget at a special meeting tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said cutting child benefit would be a breach of the Labour Party’s coalition pledges.

  “Any attempt to cut Child Benefit would be a blatant breach of election pledges from the Labour Party which, before the general election, described proposed Child Benefit cuts by Fine Gael as a ‘cut too far’. The Labour Party put posters up across the state claiming that it would protect Child Benefit.

“Just a few short weeks ago we had the Children’s Referendum to strengthen the rights of children in the constitution. It would be an outrage if, in the wake of the people passing of that amendment, this government were to attack Child Benefit, a cut that would hit the most vulnerable children and families the hardest.

“For his part James Reilly, as Fine Gael Health spokesperson, opposed the imposition by Mary Harney of prescription charges for medical card holders. Not only has he failed to abolish the charges as he demanded in opposition, but he now proposes to increase them.”

Dublin the place to be in when ringing in the New Year

Dublin’s fair city is the place to be when ringing in the New Year, according to Lonely Planet.

  The tourist guide has chosen its top five destinations for New Year’s Eve 2012 and has included Dublin in it.

The other choices were Prague in the Czech Republic, the New South Wales coast, Chiang Mai in Thailand and the French Alps. The Lonely Planet website chose Dublin for the impressive annual fireworks display and “the torchlit procession of floats, fire breathers and stilt walkers”.

This year’s New Year’s festival will be bigger to mark the start of The Gathering 2013. People worldwide have been invited to take part in a procession with candles, lanterns or torches, followed by an open air concert at College Green.

 More than 5,000 people attended the New Year’s Eve event in Dublin last year where The Coronas, Paul Brady, Damien Dempsey, Bressie and members of the Riverdance troupe performed.

Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar described Dublin’s inclusion as a positive message. “I would urge Irish people everywhere to join in the celebrations in Dublin or with their own local festival.”

Irish archaeologists hit jackpot with Fermanagh bog finds

   

Archaeologists at work on the site left picture and a Crannog on the right. 

A Fermanagh bog is revealing how our ancient farming ancestors were far more sophisticated than we could ever have imagined.

Archaeologists have hit the jackpot with the first crannog to have been dug up in Northern Ireland in 50 years — saying the internationally important find is rewriting our understanding of Ulster’s history.

Normally the approach taken is to avoid disturbing crannogs, but this one at Drumclay on the outskirts of Enniskillen lay in the path of the Cherrymount Link bypass and will eventually vanish beneath the Tarmac.

But since the summer a small army of archaeologists has been busy trying to extract as much information as possible from what is proving to be one of the most significant crannogs ever uncovered in Ireland.

To date the 27 archaeologists on site have uncovered remains of 30 houses while digging down three metres of layers.

The lake settlement in Fermanagh appears to have been continuously occupied for more than 1,000 years, from the sixth century to the 17th century, and may have been settled earlier.

   The dig has revealed a treasure trove of almost 4,000 artefacts, revealing a snapshot of life over 1,000 years. So much has been found that archaeologists have likened it to an urban site transported to the Fermanagh lakeland.

Among the most striking finds are a unique wooden bowl carved with a Latin cross, the largest pottery collection ever found in a crannog in Northern Ireland, some exquisite combs made from antler and bone, gaming pieces, leather shoes, bone-handled knives and dress pins.

Archaeologists believe people may have lived there from 600 AD to 1600 AD, and it was probably the home of a noble family, with perhaps four or five houses inhabited at any time. Parents, grandparents, children and servants would all have stayed on the crannog.

It is thought that the same wealthy native Irish farming families probably lived here for many generations in roundhouses and large rectangular houses, often dismantling their homes after only five to 10 years to build new homes on the same spot.

The artefacts uncovered so far date back to 900 AD but there are still a number of layers of settlement yet to be excavated.

Stormont Environment Minister Alex Attwood visited the site on Thursday and announced plans for an open day this Saturday to allow the public to tour the crannog and talk to the archaeologists.

“On my two visits to date, I have found the site, the dig, and the archaeology beyond my imagination, enormously exciting and changing my view of our history and Irish life,” he said.

“This is the first substantial scientific excavation of a crannog in Northern Ireland. What has been found has the potential not only to be internationally important but ultimately to lead to a reassessment of life in Ulster in early Christian and medieval times.”

The Drumclay Crannog open day this weekend will comprise a series of talks that will take place at the Fermanagh County Museum, followed by a guided tour of the archaeological site. Access to the site for this tour can only be obtained via an official coach. For booking call 028 6632 5000.

Four fascinating discoveries

1. A wooden bowl (top) incised with a Latin cross and with symmetrical perforations on the base. Unique in Ireland, at least 1,000 years old and may have been a wine strainer or implement for communion or baptism. Raises interesting questions about clergy’s control of the crannog.

2. Eighteen combs have been found, including some beautiful examples made of antler with bone rivets including three components. One dates back to 1050 to 1185AD. It was a fashion among the ‘glitterati’ of the day to wear these on thongs round their necks.

3. Numerous stick pins have been found in the hearths of the houses. These would have been used to pin cloaks in place. It’s suggested that one particularly long and ornate pin could have doubled as a stiletto-like weapon. Lords were expected to leave their weapons at the door, but could keep dress pins.

4. A pawn-like gaming piece, suggesting that the families played board games by the fire.