Ontario government-paid fees fall by 1.25% over 40 years.

GP government fee falls by 1.25% yearly for 40 years

OHIP fee A007 (Intermediate assessment - 2 diagnosis) $33.10

OMA recommended fee $65.90

At start of OHIP in 1970 OHIP fee was equal to OMA recommended fee

In 40 years OHIP fee has fallen by 1.25 % yearly.

OHIP hourly rate $33.10 x 3 = $99.30
PRIVATE $65.90 x 3 = $197.90

A reason why many GPs`are moving into NON-OHIP practice: COSMETIC MEDICINE inc HAIR TRANSPLANT; ORTHOTICS; PSYCHOANALYSIS (psychiatry covered by OHIP);SPORTS MEDICINE; & EYE TESTING 20y-64y(not OHIP covered in Ont. except for Welfare clients and those with established eye disease)

OMA CEO leaving Feb 2012: Search by ODGERS BERNDTSON (J.STONEHOUSE)

Present CEO Jonathan GUSS LLB was Canadian diplomat in The Hague.

OMA well situated in fashionable Yorkville. 150 Bloor. at Avenue road. Next to 4-Seasons Hotel and Hyatt.

Canadian PROVINCIAL LEGAL "DRINKING" AGE

18[1]		Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, but underage drinking by 16-17 year olds under parental supervision is permitted in Manitoba and under parental supervision in a residence or a temporary residence in Alberta.[5]
19 [1]		In Ontario, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut, the legal drinking age is 19. Underage drinking under parental supervision is permitted, with some restrictions, on one's own property in the provinces of New Brunswick[6] and Ontario[7] and at home in the provinces of Prince Edward Island, British Columbia[8] and Saskatchewan.[9] In British Columbia, only children of the supervising parents, not any other minors such as guests, are allowed underage drinking. Consumption of alcohol in another person's home is subject to other laws.[10] (NB Montreal's McGILL UNIVERSITY is  popular among Anglophone students; also excellent location in city)

GLAUKOS,California: iSTENT

Technology Overview

iStent®  Trabecular Micro-Bypass overview
The iStent is the first ab interno micro-bypass implant for the treatment of glaucoma.  The investigational device is currently undergoing FDA review and is not available for use in the United States. The iStent is CE marked and available for use in select countries in Europe.  In Canada, the iStent was recently approved for use.
The iStent is custom designed for optimal fit and retention within Schlemm’s canal. The device is made of surgical grade nonferromagnetic titanium, weighs 60 µg with a snorkel bore diameter of 120 µm, and has measurements of 0.5 mm x 0.25 mm x 1.0 mm.

Measuring approximately 1 mm in length, the iStent is the smallest medical device ever implanted into the human body.
Mechanism of action
Elevated or uncontrolled IOP is the number one risk factor for glaucoma. The primary cause of elevated eye pressure in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma is abnormality of the trabecular meshwork which creates resistance to outflow and back-up of aqueous humor. Up to 75% of resistance to outflow is located in the trabecular meshwork.¹
Implantation of the iStent bypasses the trabecular meshwork and is placed in Schlemm’s canal near the lower nasal quadrants. The lower nasal quadrants have a large presence of collector channels. The iStent creates a patent bypass through the trabecular meshwork and into Schlemm’s canal; thereby reestablishing physiological outflow.^2,3
Future innovations
Glaukos is developing a portfolio of micro-bypass stents to improve upon the safety and efficacy outcomes of minimally invasive, surgical implant procedures. The clinical objective of the Glaukos product portfolio is to provide patients across all stages of glaucoma with minimally invasive, sustainable therapies while decreasing the risk for vision loss.  Advances in delivery devices and targeted stent placement within Schlemm’s canal may further optimize micro-bypass stent therapy and improve the efficiency of the procedure. Our goal is to provide physicians with a titratable, minimally invasive, surgical system to reduce IOP and alleviate medication dependence for their patients.
References:

1. Rosenquist R, Epstein D, Melamed S, Johnson M, et al. Outflow resistance of enucleated human eyes at two different perfusion pressures and different extents of trabeculotomy. Curr Eye Res. 1989;8:1233-1240.
2. Dvorak-Theobald G. Schlemm's Canal: Its Anastomoses and Anatomic Relations. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 1934;32:574-595.
3. Bahler CK, Smedley GT, Zhou J, et al. Trabecular bypass stents decrease intraocular pressure in cultured human anterior segments. Am J Ophthalmol. 2004;138:988-994.

THAILAND: MALARIA

ProMED-mail to promed-edr
show details 17:49 (15 hours ago)

MALARIA - THAILAND: (YALA PROVINCE)
***********************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org/>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org/>
Date: Fri 22 Apr 2011
Source: The Nation (Bangkok) [edited]
<http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/04/22/national/Malaria-remains-threat-in-border-areas-30153662.html>

Malaria increase in Yala Province, southern Thailand
----------------------------------------------------
More than 2000 people in Thailand were infected with malaria in the
past 3 months, the Public Health Ministry said yesterday [21 Apr
2011].
Malaria remains a threat in the deep south, especially Yala Province,
where the number of malaria cases has increased from 30 a year to 3000
annually over the past several years because of the unrest in the
area, Vector-Borne Disease Bureau director Dr Wichai Satimai said.
"Medical personnel could not enter villages to provide medicine and
equipment to prevent infection, because of the unrest during the past
few years," he said. He was speaking at a workshop on malaria
prevention and control for high-risk groups living along Thailand's
borders.
He said the number of Thais diagnosed with malaria from January to
March was 2320. But when compared with the same period last year, the
figure had decreased 44 per cent.
Meanwhile, the number of foreigners infected with malaria in Thailand
this year was 3220, a 19 per cent decrease from the same period last
year. Last year, about 24 816 people were infected with malaria. Of
this number, about 15 181 cases were people living along the
Thailand-Burma border.
Dr Charles Delacollette, manager of the World Health Organization's
Mekong Malaria Programme, said he was worried about the spread of
infection along the Thai-Burmese border, as the number of malaria
cases in Burma had increased to more than 400 000 in 2009.
"If there is no collaboration between Thailand and Burma, they are
going to fail in disease prevention," he said. However, there is a
declining interest among government and donors in malaria control and
prevention.
Wichai said reductions to public health staff nationwide due to
reorganisation of the health system and poor community participation
and involvement had led to inadequate public awareness of the malaria
problem. Inflexibility in the malaria surveillance system, which is
unable to respond to changing situations, is another obstacle to
controlling the disease, he said.

AUDIENCE

United States 148

Canada 34

Singapore 17

United Kingdom 16

Germany 5

India 5

Denmark 4

Taiwan 4

France 3

Ireland 3 (Please click on advertisers to pay for blog research time)

LEPTOSPIROSIS: NEW SOUTH WALES

 Reply |ProMED-mail to promed-ahead-e.
show details 08:20 (25 minutes ago)

LEPTOSPIROSIS - AUSTRALIA (02): (NEW SOUTH WALES)
*************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org/>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org/>
Date: Thu 21 Apr 2011
Source: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) [edited]
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/21/3197611.htm>

An outbreak of a rare disease spread by mice has prompted a warning
by health authorities for local farmers to cover up. 4 cases of
leptospirosis have been confirmed in the Murrumbidgee Local Health
Network.
Public health director Tracey Oakman said the mouse borne disease has
similar symptoms to the common flu. Ms Oakman said farmers are
particularly susceptible in the mouse plague, as the infection happens
when open wounds come in contact with mouse urine. "It's really
important, if people do have cuts they can make sure they cover them,"
she said. "I know gloves are difficult for farmers, or bandages, but
try and avoid best you can coming into contact with soil and water and
mud that have urine in it."
Ms Oakman said it was not normally seen as far south in New South
Wales but mouse numbers are up this year [2011] because of all the
rain. It's important that people do go to the doctor with
leptospirosis because you can get kidney failure, jaundice, and
meningitis and bleeding on the lungs as a complication," she said.
"Many people do end up in hospital after it, so if they're unwell,
please go and see a doctor to diagnose it and a blood test will
diagnose it."