HEALTHY HEART IN KIBRA-FREE HYPERTENSION CHECK UP

Residents in Kibra and Langata constituency have been urged to come out in large number and participate in the on-going blood pressure screening project being carried out at Amref centre Laini saba grounds Kibra slums.

Healthy Heart Africa in conjunction with Amref yesterday launched the free hypertension screening  as part of their  public education and awareness  activities  on cardiovascular health .The activities are also aimed at creating awareness of World Hypertension Day to be marked on 17th  May 2015.

Amref Country acting director Dr. Meshack Ndirang’u Says the project is geared to reduce cases of hypertension and other heart related diseases in the region. He further stated that those that will be found to be hypertensive problems will be given free medicare and follow-up done on their health progress after the treatment.

 Health Heart Africa(HHA) is a programme that was launched by AstraZeneca(AZ)a bio-pharmaceutical firm on 28^th October 2014 with the aim of tackling the burden of hypertension in Africa. The launch took place in Tigoni, Kiambu county, which was followed up by a
Press conference in Nairobi. The initiative has up to date been implemented in 2 more counties, i.e Nyeri and Kirinyaga.

The goal of HHA programme is to reach out over 1 million people by the end of the year. The launch has already seen over 600 people screened and it is their hope to screen even more following the Launch on 15 April, 2015 at Kibera.

Here is a slideshow of what took place yesterday !

Travel Wild Medical Tours Partners with Benzy Healthcare for Medical Tourism

I have just received this press release but before i post it,my mind juggled on the idea: "Medical Tourism" by definition the word tourism conjures up the idea commercialization,leisure and relaxation .So can there be anything as medical tourism???The press release however highlights some truth about the high costs of medical treatment in Kenya as compared to India and other Countries and so the article may prove useful...but i find the idea of medical tourism disturbing, just my two cents....

Travel Wild Medical Tours Partners with Benzy Healthcare for Medical Tourism

Providing an end-to-end solution for medical patients going to India for treatment, with reduced costs and peace of mind for patients.

Travel Wild Medical Tours and Benzy Healthcare have teamed up to provide ultimate solution for patients looking to travel to India for medical treatment.  Travel Wild Medical Tours has begun working with doctors in Nairobi, allowing their patients to choose from a number of treatment options in India.  With a network of over 200 hospitals and more than 10,000 doctors in India, Kenyan patients can select a treatment plan within their budget.  Treatments are available for heart diseases, respiratory ailments, bone treatment, cosmetic surgery, dental treatment, general health check-ups and more.

With Travel Wild Medical Tours, every patient is taken care of from the time they leave their home until the time they return.  Patients are picked up from their homes and transported to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.  Upon arrival in India they are met by a Benzy Healthcare representative and transported either directly to their pre-selected hospital or to their pre-arranged accommodation in India.  Return flight, visa acquisition, medical treatment, accommodation in India, and all transfers are covered so that every patient has peace of mind when travelling abroad for their medical treatment.

Travel Wild Medical Tours has also worked in cooperation with Kenya Airways to develop a new ‘Medical Package’ that will greatly reduce the cost of flights for patients.

“We are filling a desperate need for patients in Kenya.  I have heard countless stories of patients travelling to India without knowing which hospital to go to, which doctors to see, or even where to get a hotel room,” stated Adam Rector, Marketing Manager for Travel Wild Medical Tours.  “Now patients have the full support of staff in Kenya and India to help them throughout the treatment process and patients will know all of the costs involved before they leave Kenya.”

“The number of patients coming into India increases each year because of our excellent facilities and doctors.  The cost savings compared to the USA, the UK, and South Africa are tremendous.  We wanted to create a hassle-free way for Kenyans to travel to India for medical treatment and we have achieved that goal with this partnership,” stated Vasco Noronha, Head of Inbound Operations for Benzy Healthcare.

Medical tourism into India has become increasingly popular in the last decade.  Worldwide, the medical tourism industry has grown from $40 billion in 2004 to over $100 billion today.  It is estimated that the medical tourism industry in India alone will account for $2.2 billion in 2012. According to a recent study, treatment costs in India were on average 80% less than costs in the United States, 74% less than costs in the UK, and 20% less than costs in Singapore.

First Reported Swine Flu Case in Kenya !

It is confirmed and now official that Kenya has at least one confirmed case of swine flu(H1N1 virus) infection:a 20 year old boy who was in the company of 34 British Student's touring the Country. The victim of the dreaded disease and the other students are quarantined at the Duke of Breeze Hospital in Kisumu! Laboratory tests from the CDC-Kemri and the National Influenza Centre (Laboratories ) in Nairobi confirmed that the boy had indeed been infected with the Swine Flu Virus.

Shortly thereafter the minister for Public Health Beth Mugo confirmed the incidence.This comes shortly after a false scare that someone at Sarit Centre AAR Outpatient unit had been diagnosed with the Disease on Saturday leading to a public scare and panic at the shopping mall.The minister later refuted that false claim.

However this should not cause any unnecessary panic as the Disease is treatable and Kenya has enough stock of the required medication to treat the Disease.In that regard Media ought to exercise restraint in not running or airing sensational content! The only foreseeable problem is we lack sufficient medical infrastructure, public knowledge and prevalence of poverty which can catapult the problem into an epidemic.
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Mesothelioma-Asbestos Caused Cancer

It is quite unfortunate that many roof tiles manufactured in Kenya actually contain asbestos.Contaminated water from these roofs often makes way to our water sources,rivers, dams... etc.That is a very dangerous thing as it posses the development and risk of cancer.Mesothelioma is a cancer often caused by exposure to asbestos and since building with asbestos is not banned in Kenya this article may prove to be very useful in raising cancer awareness ;especially about this type of cancer!

As a blogger , i cannot most certainly speak authoritatively on this subject .But i have landed on a web resource that attracted me to the subject. The site is actually from a Mesothelioma Lawyer's Firm, Marks & Associates P.C that specially liaises in litigation involving persons diagnosed with Mesothelioma as a consequence of exposure to asbestos during their course of employment.Mesothelium is actually a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs.Interestingly according to WIKIPEDIA the symptoms of Mesothelioma may begin to manifest after 20-50 years from exposure to asbestos.

Hence there is a real danger of workers in automotive or building industry in developing the disease! Fortunately enough, the firm of Mark & Associates can offer authoritative and reliable legal advise on the issue.The firm has over 15 years experience in handling this kind of complex litigation.

What i perhaps also find disturbing is the statistics involving the number of people who have succumbed to Mesothelioma. According to the site, in the United States alone at least 43,073 people have died from Asbestos induced illnesses since 1979 .Unfortunately , i don't think there is accurate data available for Kenya since access to medical help and proper diagnosis is limited here.But with certainty i can say that the National Environmental Management Authority(NEMA) should give this issue its due attention. Kenyans should especially watch the issue of rain water harvesting and ensure that we do not needlessly expose ourselves to such dangers in all aspects of our life.

Termite Infestation Control-How To!

Dealing with termite infestation can be a hustle!Choosing the right pesticide that will not harm your young one's makes the whole issue more complicated.This is especially so when you want to fumigate the house but cannot afford moving to a hotel when your house is being fumigated.

I moved house recently only to find out the truthfulness of the Swahili adage "kila kitanda iko na kunguni wake" in English "each bed has its own bug" .All of a sudden termites have cropped up in the house and so i engaged myself today in an online search to find websites that have appropriate information on how to deal with termite infestation.I took this drastic step because dealing with African Termites( known for building the largest termite mounds and nests, ravaging villages... etc) is not an easy thing and the earlier you deal with them the better.

I have come across a site called KillTheTermite.com which specialises on termites ,ants and other domestic pests.The site layout is cool and simple. It has a termite guide section that will help one:

• Know how to carry out a termite infection inspection
• Identify the different types of termites
• Arrive at the different treatment options available
  

The site is quite a useful resource !If you desire to find out more please visit the site.

Latest News on Swine Flu-New Zealand

The Swine flu epidemic has now reached New Zealand with atleast two reported cases! After the Bird flu phenomena the various world health authorities are now taking no chances!(it's almost poetic... from bird(bad flu)to swine flu)The recent upsurge of the deadly swine flu was first reported in Mexico with a few cases being reported in the United States.The fact that cases of new infections have sprung up in New Zealand(see NZ Herald article) indicate a death dealing disease on the loose that needs to be contained!

But agian what is swine flu? what are its symptoms and what does one need to do if infected with the virus? are important questions that each one of us needs to consider!Simply put swine flu is influenza that ordinarily affects swine(my layman definition) Wikipedia puts it as:

"influenza caused by any virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae, that is endemic to pig (swine) populations. Strains endemic in swine are called swine influenza virus (SIV), and all known strains of SIV are classified as Influenzavirus A (common) or Influenzavirus C (rare).^[1] Influenzavirus B has not been reported in swine".

The symptoms of the disease are similar just as for usual flu i.e headaches, sore throat, body aches,fever cough ,vomiting etc.How would one know if one has been infected.....a lab test is necessary , so if you catch up a flu round this time and have travelled to any of the areas where the disease has been sighted it would be advisable to seek medical advice by visiting a qualified medical practitioner.

The good news is that swine flu is treatable with certain recommended antiviral drugs especially if detected early! The treatment however must be administered under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner! Seeing that its raining heavily in some parts of Africa right now, please dont panic if you catch a flu but make sure to consult a doctor!

by the way you can follow the Atlanta(USA) based Center for Disease Control on twitter for latest updates : twitter.com/cdcemergency

To help all of us stay healthy EACH ONE OF US can do the following general rules of ettiquette as suggested by the CDC:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Getting Rid of Bulging Tummies & Pot Bellies!

Now thats the kind of tummy that defiantely needs a Tummy Tuck!Some time back i did a post on Traffic Police in Kenya and Bribery and it was manifestly open that some of them develop pot bellies without due regard to their profession or health.But having a bulging tummy or Pot belly need not be the end of the matter!

Tummy tucks are surgeries that are done to remove excess subcutaneous fat,skin or cartillage in the body ! Interestingly i just learnt today that there are two types of surgeries in that regards i.e

1. mini tummy tuck which basically involves an incision across the lower abdomen where excess fat and loose skin are removed.
   
2. Full tummy tuck, a cut is made across the lower abdomen and another is made around the tummy button.
   

I just came accross this site MYA cosmetic in the UK. where expert and sound opinion on different cosmetic surgery procedures and products. Many people have travelled long distances inorder to access the professionalized medical services offered by the Mya Group!
What is interesting about the site is that you can actually call in for a free consultation!Im certain that many Kenyans of means would almost do anything to ensure that they look better especially the ladies.Stretch marks and pot bellies seem to be of uttermost concern for many ladies but... from the picture of the traffic cop i think men also need to consider doing something about their"public opinions"! and if they cannot do diets or exercise ..etc then cosmetic surgery is the only option. Visit the site and learn more about the procedures !


(this is my independent opinion for expert advice contact your physician )