Tim Parke, the Clinical Director of Auckland Hospital Emergency Department, has written an opinion piece in today’s Herald, extolling the virtues of state health care. “Universal” health care, as he calls it. That word immediately alerts me to the socialist thinking that will be behind the article. The most obvious aspect of state health is [...]
Spam Journalism: The spurious use of sensational headlines to add spice to an otherwise pointless article I was amused to see this article is the Herald yesterday. Talk about trying to rehash old news… Two more deaths but swine flu cases fall Twenty deaths this year have been swine flu-related but health authorities say the [...]
The Herald reports that a report by Martin Dawe of the first two weeks of the Swine Flu epidemic is intensely critical of the lack of planning and poor coordination of data resources. This was the MacDoctor’s impression of the entire debacle. I knew of a potentially deadly strain of Mexican flu three days before [...]
Stuff reports that Swine flu cases are on the decline. This would be the experience of the large group practice I am currently working in. However, I think that Dr. Fran McGrath is being a little optimistic: Deputy director of public health Fran McGrath said this might be because people had been taking note of [...]
In general, I have had only one problem with the way that the various disease control agencies have reacted to the Swine Flu outbreak. It was all a bit too slow. The WHO, CDC and New Zealand’s Department of Public Health have all reacted appropriately and smoothly but several days and perhaps as much as a [...]
An eminent Australian Infectious Diseases expert agrees with me that this outbreak is more worrying than the bird flu. Two New Zealand experts agree with me that a mutation could render Tamiflu ineffective. Mexico: 103 dead – 20 confirmed to have died from swine flu, 18 confirmed ill with swine flu United States: 20 confirmed cases of [...]
I saw a patient from flight NZ1 at 4pm today. She was complaining of mild sore throat and runny nose which she thought initially was due to the aircraft air conditioning. She heard the news about the swine flu and so rang Healthline who, like the clueless people they usually are, immediately sent them to [...]
Spam Journalism: The spurious use of sensational headlines to add spice to an otherwise pointless article. (MacDoctor definition) You can always rely on the HoS to provide some spam. This one comes with the thin veneer of medicine attached. Child pollution fright Parents face tough choices over their children’s education after health authorities declared large [...]
