Galway Hospital Medics said ’it’s a Catholic thing a friend tells Galway inquest
A Midwife told Savita Halappanavar termination not done here, inquest hears
A friend of Savita Halappanavar has told an inequest that medical staff at Galway University Hospital refused to carry out a termination on Savita Halappanavar because “it’s a Catholic thing”.
Mrudula Vasealli said she and Ms Halappanavar asked a midwife in the hospital whether something could be done to stop her baby’s heartbeat.
At the time last October, Ms Halappanavar’s pregnancy was not viable because her membranes had ruptured but the foetal heartbeat was still present.
Ms Vasealli said the midwife went off to check with a doctor and when she returned, said: “We don’t do that here dear. It’s a Catholic thing”.
Her version of events tallies with that of Ms Halappanavar’s husband Praveen, who says the couple asked for a termination on three occasions over two days. However, hospital staff dispute this.
“The nurses were lovely. They took care of her. It’s the system that is wrong,” Ms Vasealli told the inquest this morning.
Galway coroner Ciaran McLoughlin asked lawyers for the HSE if it was possible to identify the midwife to whom ms Vasealli had spoken. Declan Buckley SC, for the HSE, said he didn’t think it was possible.
Eugene Gleeson SC, for Mr Halappanavar, said the HSE had refused to provide them with the staff roster for the period. Mr Buckley said this wasn’t correct. It wasn’t appropriate for the HSE to provide the documentation at an inquest. Mr McLoughlin said he wasn’t entitled to seek discovery of the document.
Diesel fumes linked to thousands of Irish deaths
An Taisce claims 3,400 Irish people die each year from poor air quality
Poor air quality caused by fumes from diesel cars, buses and trucks in Ireland contributes to about 3,400 premature deaths in Ireland each year, according to An Taisce.
The environmental protection group claims there is a European total of 420,000 premature deaths and up to €790 billion in economic costs due to poor air quality.
An Taisce estimated the 3,400 deaths in Ireland on the basis that the country has 0.8 per cent of the EU population.
An Taisce revealed the figure in a letter to Minister for Health James Reilly and Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, in which the organisation asked them to use Ireland’s EU presidency to deliver better air quality in Europe.
The EU air pollution figures are frighteningly high according to An Taisce’s policy director James Nix.
“We’re fully familiar with the consequences of weak legislation and poor regulation in the financial sector; when it comes to protecting people from air pollution – particularly the very young and elderly – the fallout is even more stark,” Mr Nix said.
While progress in Ireland is being made, Mr Nix said Ireland is still in breach of EU law because of traffic-induced nitrogen oxides, which are implicated in asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Household charge registration in Donegal now up to more than 60%
More than 61 per cent of householders in Donegal have registered properties for the household charge, Donegal County Council has said.
The Local authority is advising those that those who have not paid the household charge that they face a charge of 130 euro with further increases to come in May and June.
The charge will increase to €144 in May 2013 and increase further to €145 in June 2013. Any outstanding Household Charge will be increased to €200 from July 1st 2013 added to the Local Property Tax due on the property.
In a statement issued this on Thursday the local authority stressed that the Revenue Commissioners will then pursue any Household Charges outstanding when the Local Property Tax system is fully operational. Interest and penalties under the Local Property Tax system will apply to the additional €200.
The council acknowledged all those who have already paid the Household Charge to date at the Council’s local offices or on-line and are urging all those remaining liable to pay to do so, as soon as possible, to avoid unnecessary further and increasing penalties and charges.
Payment of the charge can be made by credit/debit card online athttp://www.householdcharge.ie or by Cheque/bank draft/postal order or cash at any of the Public Service Centres.
An ‘Aggressive prostate cancer‘ gene found
Genetics appear to dictate how the cancer behaves
Men with prostate cancer and an inherited gene mutation have the worst form of the disease, research reveals.
The BRCA2 gene is linked to hereditary breast cancer, as well as prostate and ovarian cancer.
Now scientists say that as well as being more likely to get prostate cancer, men with BRCA2 are also more likely to develop aggressive tumours and have the poorest survival rates.
They say these men should be treated quickly to save lives.
This study shows that doctors need to consider treating men with prostate cancer and a faulty BRCA2 gene much sooner than they currently do, rather than waiting to see how the disease develops”
Around one in every 100 men with prostate cancer will have the BRCA2 mutation.
These men might benefit from immediate surgery or radiotherapy, even if their disease is at an early stage and would normally be classified as low risk, according to the latest work in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Diverse disease
Prostate cancer can grow extremely slowly or very quickly, and this is something that is hard to predict early on.
Some men may live symptom-free for a lifetime, despite having this cancer.
For many, treatment is not immediately necessary.
But researchers say men with BRCA2 and prostate cancer should be treated early and aggressively because their tumour is more likely to spread.
Prof Ros Eeles and colleagues at The Institute of Cancer Research in London and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust found prostate cancers spread more quickly and were more often fatal in men who had inherited a faulty BRCA2 gene than in men without the faulty gene.
- The prostate is a small gland in the pelvis found only in men. It’s job is to make the fluid part of semen that sperm swim in
- Prostate cancer does not normally cause symptoms until the cancer has grown large enough to affect surrounding structures like the urethra that carries urine from the bladder
- This can lead to problems passing urine – needing to pee more often or difficulty starting to urinate
- Prostate cancer can be diagnosed by taking a biopsy (a small tissue sample of the prostate gland)
- Some men may be advised to delay having treatment if the tumour is very slow growing and not causing any problems
- Others may want to have surgery to remove the entire prostate
- For some, treatment may offer the best chance of cure but it can cause serious side effects including impotence and incontinence
They looked at the medical records of prostate cancer patients which included 61 men with BRCA2, 18 men with a similar gene mutation called BRCA1, and 1,940 men with neither mutations.
Patients with BRCA2-mutations were significantly less likely to survive their cancer, living an average of 6.5 years after diagnosis compared with 12.9 years for non-carriers. They were also more likely to have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis.
‘More deadly type’
Prof Eeles said: “It is clear from our study that prostate cancers linked to inheritance of the BRCA2 cancer gene are more deadly than other types.
“It must make sense to start offering affected men immediate surgery or radiotherapy, even for early-stage cases that would otherwise be classified as low-risk.
“We won’t be able to tell for certain that earlier treatment can benefit men with inherited cancer genes until we’ve tested it in a clinical trial, but the hope is that our study will ultimately save lives by directing treatment at those who most need it.”
More than 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.
Men with a significant family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer in addition to prostate cancer can be offered BRCA1/2 testing at diagnosis, but it is not routinely offered to all patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK.
Dr Julie Sharp of Cancer Research UK, said: “This study shows that doctors need to consider treating men with prostate cancer and a faulty BRCA2 gene much sooner than they currently do, rather than waiting to see how the disease develops.
“We knew that men who inherit a faulty BRCA2 gene are at a greater risk of developing prostate cancer but this is the largest study to show that the faulty gene also makes the disease more likely to develop quickly and spread.”
Diabetes classed as the silent killer
With an estimated 30,000 undiagnosed cases, is it time for you to get checked? Diabetes is not a curable disease, but it is largely preventable or manageable with a healthy lifestyle,
Despite consuming chocolate in what I felt was moderation, by Easter Monday I was left with what I refer to as a sugar hangover. This is no medical phenomenon, but the name I give that irritability and lack of energy that follows post sugar binge.
Sugar is the energy source of the body; we do need it to survive, but how we control that energy source and release is also key to our long-term health and well-being.
Carbohydrates get broken down to glucose in the body, so all starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, and rice, along with crisps, sweets, biscuits, and cakes, ultimately become a source of sugar.
In order to provide energy, glucose has to enter the cells in our bodies. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key to these cells. Whenever blood sugar rises insulin is released, then sugar enters the cells and is used as energy.
Certain foods such as vegetables, brown bread, rice, and pasta release sugar slowly, these types of food lead to more steady sugar levels. Sugars such as white carbohydrates and sweets, crisps, etc, cause a quick sugar rise, placing higher demands on Insulin in the body.
Over time, a diet high in these foods can increase the chance of the body become more resistant to, or becoming depleted in, insulin. This results in diabetes. There are two main types of diabetes; Type 1 (previously called insulin dependent) and Type 2 (previously called non-insulin dependent).
In Type 1 diabetes the body is unable to produce insulin. This accounts for about 10pc of cases of diabetes. It is an autoimmune condition, and usually starts in childhood or adolescence.
The exact cause is unknown but the result is that the cells that normally produce insulin are destroyed and unable to function.
People diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes need lifelong insulin injections to survive.
It is estimated that just under 200,000 people in Ireland have Type 2 diabetes, 30,000 of which are undiagnosed. A simple blood sugar test can help pick this up early, before symptoms appear.
In Type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or does not produce enough. The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, and fatigue, however, they may come on gradually, or in some cases the symptoms are not obvious at all.
Blood glucose screening in those at risk can help diagnose the condition early. Type 2 diabetes is treated by diet, lifestyle modification, and medications that increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
In some cases this is not enough, and some people do ultimately end up requiring insulin therapy. You are at risk of Type 2 diabetes if you have a family history of it, if you are obese (80pc of Type 2 diabetics are), if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, or if you are aged over 40.
So why do we care about sugar levels rising? Well when blood glucose levels are high they can damage virtually every cell in the body. The risk of heart and vascular disease doubles in the first five years after diagnosis.
High blood pressure is common in diabetics. It can also lead to kidney failure, nerve damage, erectile difficulties, eye damage, and foot and limb damage that may result in amputations. Diabetics therefore require regular check-ups to help catch any complications early, and to prevent further problems down the road.
The good news is that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes, so maintaining a healthy weight and diet and getting at least 30 minutes of exercise daily is really beneficial.
Even in those with the condition, if blood glucose levels are monitored and maintained at normal levels through lifestyle and medication then the risk of complications is greatly reduced.
Most people are under the impression that diabetics have to follow a special diet – the truth is there is no such thing.
It simply means eating plenty fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains, and controlling the amount of carbohydrate consumed; a diet we should all follow.
Portion control is also important: one or two small potatoes is okay, five or six is not! In those who are obese, weight loss is an essential part of management.
Diabetes is not a curable disease, but if you lead a healthy lifestyle throughout your life it is largely preventable or manageable.
We are all familiar with checking the sugar content in foods, but when did you last check the sugar in your blood?
Think about it. It might just save your life.
Galway doctor the world’s first women to windsurf the infamous Hawaiian wave “Jaws”
Gap year student Katie McAnena catches wave while training for competitive season
26-year-old Galway doctor Katie McAnena is one of the world’s first women to surf the Hawaiian wave “Jaws”
Galway doctor Katie McAnena is one of the world’s first women to surf the Hawaiian wave “Jaws.”
The 26-year-old doctor who is on a gap year from medicine spent many hours last week at Pe’ahi, Hawaii. The waves off the Hawaiian island Maui can reach up o to 60 feet and are thought to be as unpredictable as a shark attack, which is how the wave earned the nickname “Jaws” from the shark attack movie.
The wave “Jaws” attracts some of the best surfers. McAnena is a four time female windsurfing champion and was in Hawaii to train for the professional competitive season. She told The Irish Times about the wave, “I’ve been obsessed with this wave for the longest time, but I never believed in my wildest dreams that I’d be doing it, let alone so soon.”
The wave “Jaws” breaks below a steep cliff and many surfers use a jetski to use to the “tow-in” method to catch the wave. McAnena opted to catch the wave by jumping off a cliff base. Many male surfers jumped off the cliff base with her.
She told The Irish Times in Hawaii, “As the day progressed and it hit noon, the conditions just seemed to get better, and so I grabbed my gear and went for it. I’ve no idea how big the wave break was, but I was very cautious and stayed on its shoulder.” She added, “There were big gaps in the swell, so I timed it and it just seemed right.”
Finn Mullen, an Irish windsurfing champion who surfed “Jaws” three years ago and again this year on his stand-up paddle board, said McAnena’s achievement was extraordinary. He commented, “Like Aileen’s Off Clare and Mullaghmore, Co Sligo, there are only a few of these wave breaks in the world.”
There no records of women who have surfed “Jaws” in the past, but McAnena and New Caledonian windsurfer Sarah Delaunay would be the first women to surf “Jaws” in recent times.
McAnena summed up the experience, “The sound and the feeling of it going through my bones was extraordinary, an out-of-body experience.”
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