HEALTHMonitor produced by Media Monitors ACT Pty Ltd distributed by Health Communication Network Limited Issue No. 999 - Wednesday, July 07, 1999 PRINT MEDIA SUMMARY THE FINANCIAL REVIEW Chelsey Martin p4 AMA cash campaign. The AMA yesterday lunched a public campaign aimed at forcing the Federal Government to pay doctors approximately $25 million for work performed for Centrelink annually in the form of more than 50,000 reports. (HM070700) Jane Boyle p18 Healthy A&E. Primary Health Care Ltd has purchased pathology provider GCL and Northside Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation along with three new specialist eye-care centres for an estimated $8.2 million with the expansion being funded by a share issue. (HM070701) THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD Julie Robotham p4 Asthmatics �let down by after-care�. The National Asthma Campaign will today release its three-year study into the disease with recommendations expected to include calls for better care for severe asthma sufferers and increased research funding. (HM070702) Mark Robinson p6 Hospital $9.5m in the red - surgeon. Westmead Hospital surgeon David Dilley yesterday alleged the hospital was facing a $9.5 million budget shortfall and had been forced to close up to 80 beds in a bid to recoup the money. (HM070703) Mark Metherell p10 AMA chief steps up fight for survival. AMA federal president David Brand yesterday announced the body�s six-member executive council would join him in putting their positions to the vote at the extraordinary general meeting on August 20. (HM070704) Julie Robotham p10 More men find vasectomy a snip. New Australian Bureau of Statistics figures have revealed vasectomy rates have remained steady at 28,000 annually between 1993 and 1998 while the rate of female sterilisations halved to 6,400 last year. (HM070705) Tony Vinson p19 Aborigines facing hard Labor. University of NSW Emeritus Professor of Social Work Tony Vision argues that an overhaul of law and order policies by the NSW Government is needed to reduce the grossly disproportionate Aboriginal prison population. (HM070706) Nicola Ballenden p19 Looking after their own health. Australian Consumers Association senior health policy officer Nicola Ballenden discusses the AMA leadership struggle arguing it is mainly concerned with protecting doctor�s incomes, not ensuring patient�s welfare. (HM070707) THE AGE Penny Fannin pA2 Cancer drug put to the test. Trials of the anti- cancer drug PI-88, developed by the John Curtin School of Medical Research, will begin on cancer patients in Melbourne from August with the drug believed to prevent the spread of cancer-related enzyme heparanase. (HM070708) pA2 Sound test for bone density. Gynaecologist Max Holsman claimed yesterday that ultrasound examination of a person�s heel was as effective a test of bone density, an indicator of hip or spinal fracture risk, as complex and expensive X- rays. (HM070709) pA2 A souvenir to last a lifetime. An Australian Bureau of Statistics survey of 500 adults who travelled overseas in the past two years found that only 20 per cent were vaccinated against the deadly hepatitis B virus, despite many travelling to high-risk areas. (HM070710) THE CANBERRA TIMES Gwynne Dyer p11 Terrible price to pay for profit. Article discusses US Vice-President Al Gore�s support of international drug companies� efforts to maintain artificially high prices of AIDS drugs in South Africa in order to safeguard his campaign contributions. (HM070711) Catriona Jackson p3 Meningococcal health alert. ACT chief health officer Shirley Bowen has issued a public health alert on the deadly meningococcal disease, saying people needed to be made aware of symptoms despite no case being recorded in the Territory this year. (HM070712) THE WEST AUSTRALIAN p13 Baby virus scare not over yet: authorities. The WA Health Department said yesterday that no new outbreaks of a paralysing and potentially deadly virus, which attacks infants, have occurred, but urged continued caution by parents and GPs. (HM070713) Rebecca Rose p32 Diggers win battle for Gulf war health costs. Veterans� Affairs Minister Bruce Scott yesterday said the Federal Government had agreed to pay health care costs incurred by veterans claiming to be suffering from the Gulf War Syndrome. (HM070714) Grahame p37 Flues on gas heaters �not necessary�. The WA Armstrong Health Department says it is not aware of any need for the addition of compulsory flues on gas heaters in the home, with the WA Office of Energy claiming that flueless space heaters are safe. (HM070715) THE COURIER MAIL p1 Non-smokers under cloud. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation has alleged that non-smokers are being tempted to take up smoking because of the social environment created by addicts gathered outside buildings for cigarette breaks. (HM070716) p3 Cancer alert on cordless phone use. A Panorama documentary screened on the ABC 4 Corners program last night reveals that two overseas studies have demonstrated links between brain cancer and mobile and cordless phone use. (HM070717) David Murray p7 State hit over cash crisis for addicts. A report by the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia has found that at $5.79-per-head Qld has the lowest per capital funding for drug abuse treatment and prevention programs in Australia. (HM070718) David Murray p7 Call for breath tests at under-18 discos. NSW health worker Doug Tutt has told the Alcohol and Drug Foundation that Qld should introduce regulations enforcing alcohol-testing of adolescents before admittance to alcohol-free concerts and discos. (HM070719) Michael McKenna p10 Law body split by tobacco row. The decision by the Law Council of Australia to veto the drafting of anti-smoking legislation has prompted the resignation of Consumer Law Committee chairman Rob Davis amid allegations of corporate pressure. (HM070720) p10 Deadly virus sweeps pound. The Logan City Pound has been temporarily closed following an outbreak of the canine parvovirus which killed 10 dogs last week, with only emergency cases being accepted. (HM070721) p16 In sickness and in health. Two brief articles on the differing cultural attitudes to ageing and menopause among women in Australia and the Philippines and how cravings for addictive drugs can be triggered by biochemical underpinning. (HM070722) ADELAIDE ADVERTISER Sam Weir p7 GP taken to court over vein cream. Skin Doctors Dermaceuticals has taken Laser Skin and Vein Clinic doctor Sue McKay to the SA Supreme Court in an attempt to prevent her revealing test results on the effectiveness of spider vein treatments. (HM070723) Heather p7 Movies can be a real pain in the knee. The Gallagher University of Melbourne School of Physiotherapy has warned against the onset of �moviegoer knee�, a condition which occurs after sitting in a confined space for a prolonged period of time. (HM070724) Miles Kemp p22 Dental service inquiry to be told of �forced extractions�. The SA Government will investigate claims that public hospital dentists, in an attempt to reduce waiting lists, are beginning to extract patients� teeth instead of performing root canal work. (HM070725) Catherine p24 Lake Bonney salt alert. A report commissioned by Hockley the Berri Barmera Local Action Planning Committee has found that Lake Bonney, a popular recreational area along the River Murray, contains excessive levels of salinity, E-coli and enterococci bacteria. (HM070726) Leonie Mellor p27 Study of suburbs� health. The Australian Steel Corporation yesterday announced the launch of an investigation into the environmental health issues associated with the western suburbs near the LeFevre Peninsula. (HM070727) THE HERALD SUN Wendy Busfield p5 Crusader back from the brink. Profile of duck shooter advocate Laurie Levy, who experienced a range of health problems associated with male menopause, and how hormone replacement therapy helped alleviate his condition. (HM070728) Wendy Busfield p21 Call to reveal hospital secrets. Catholic health services have called on the NSW Government to disclose documents relating to the tendering of public health services, saying there needs to be more transparency in the privatisation process. (HM070729) Ashley Gardiner p23 Help on ageing. Federal Aged Care Minister Bronwyn Bishop will open the Second National Rural Conference on Ageing at Charles Sturt University tomorrow with the main theme to be the continued value to society of the elderly. (HM070730) THE DAILY TELEGRAPH p17 Screening cuts diseases. The NSW Cancer Council said yesterday that public health programs promoting cervical cancer and melanoma screening had helped to significantly reduce the incidence of the diseases since introduced in 1992. (HM070731) pF3 Wonder bean ... or is it? Medical research revealing that the soybean has a range of health properties has led to a marketing blitz by food companies in the developed world despite continuing consumer ignorance about the product. (HM070732) THE HOBART MERCURY p6 Lapse of judgment costs teenager her life. Chronic asthmatic and allergy sufferer 19-year-old Kelly Adelman death following her accidental consumption of satay containing peanuts on June 28 has highlighted the need for vigilance among these groups. (HM070733) MAJOR MEDIA RELEASES Australian Medical AMA Leadership team to put their positions on the Association Limited line at second EGM. The six members of the AMA�s executive council are to put their positions to the vote at the extraordinary general meeting to be held in Canberra on August 20. (HM070734) Australian Medical Doctors to mount campaign against Government for Association Limited $25m of unpaid work. AMA federal president David Brand has announced a campaign against the Federal Government�s refusal to reimburse doctors for up to $25 million of annual unpaid work for Centrelink in completing more than 500,000 reports. (HM070735) Australian National New advances in ANI anti-cancer drug research. University Public The Australian National University�s John Curtin Affairs Division School of Medical Research has announced the successful isolation and cloning of the enzyme heparanase, with ANUTECH to undertake ongoing research and development into the anti-cancer drug PI-88. (HM070736) Australian Medical Government gangsters. The Australian Medical Student�s Association Student�s Association will this week hold its Limited annual Convention in Perth with members to protest against Federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge�s refusal to implement the Health Insurance Amendment Act (II) 1996 regarding provision of medical numbers to junior doctors. (HM070737) CSIRO Australian cancer probe debut in London. CSIRO Sydney melanoma unit worker Scott Menzies will unveil the Skin Polaprobe system at the 6th International Congress of the International Society for Skin Imaging. The system is a joint venture between medical instrument company Plartechnics Ltd and the CSIRO. (HM070738) ELECTRONIC MEDIA SUMMARY 6/7 1300 2CN International Year of Older Persons. Council on the Ageing executive director Jim Purcell discusses initiatives conducted so far this year as part of the International Year of Older Persons. Programmes have included a seniors� marquee at the Canberra Show and the National Council of Women forum. People over 50 are classified as older persons. (Dur: 14.00) (HM070739) 6/7 1000 2CN Impact of fatigue on work performance. Queen Elizabeth Hospital Sleep Research Centre director Drew Dawson discuss the effects of fatigue on work performance in the wake of a Federal inquiry into fatigue, particularly in the transport industry. Dawson looks at the comparison between sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption and the move to introduce controls in hospitals on shift work done by doctors. (Dur: 10.00) (HM070740) 6/7 1630 3AW Food poisoning allegations refuted. AVS Catering managing director Jonathan Tribe discusses the allegations of poor food handling and food poisoning in the catering at Waverley Park. Tribe cites the fact that only two people have claimed they were poisoned by the hot dogs out of many thousands and maintains his confidence that food handling at Waverley Park is in accordance with the manufacturers� recommendations and the Vic Health Department�s specifications. (Dur: 5.36) (HM070741) 6/7 1500 6WF Hormone replacement therapy. Time for Men spokesman Laurie Levy claims the Federal Government is being short sighted, inhumane and possibly unlawful in refusing to place hormone replacement therapy for men on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Levy also outlines other funding issues affecting men�s health. (Dur: 10:18) (HM070742) OTHER PRINT ARTICLES 7/7 Sydney Morning No beds in the wards (Letter to the p18 Herald Editor from St Vincent�s Hospital Emergency Medicine Senior Registrar Neil Ballad) 7/7 Sydney Morning Myopic doctors (Letter to the Editor from p18 Herald registered psychologist John Jacom) 7/7 The Age The snip rated a cut above the pill) pA3 7/7 The Age AMA council set to take on rebels pA10 7/7 The Age The pain of being too thin (Letter to the pA18 Editor) 7/7 Canberra Times Clinical trials of new anti-cancer drug p3 produced at ANU to begin in Melbourne soon) 7/7 Canberra Times AMA chiefs put their jobs on the line p3 7/7 West Australian Cancer drug ready for trial p13 7/7 West Australian Smokers will pay the price p15 7/7 West Australian Doctors to �bill� for form filling p30 7/7 Courier Mail AMA row boils over p7 7/7 Courier Mail Drug areas lack services p7 7/7 Advertiser Travellers warned on risk of disease p27 (Adelaide) 7/7 Herald Sun An age old cure p3 7/7 Herald Sun Films are a pain p9 7/7 Herald Sun AMA leaders challenged p21 7/7 Herald Sun Disease threat to unwary travellers p24 7/7 Daily Telegraph Surgeon�s warning dismissed p4 7/7 Daily Telegraph Doctors challenge with �dream team� p7 7/7 Daily Telegraph Just a taste of peanut killed Kelly p17 7/7 Daily Telegraph Aussies ignore risk of holiday disease p29 7/7 Hobart Mercury Be prepared for overseas travel bugs, p7 warns doctor 7/7 Hobart Mercury Executive quits as AMA leadership battle p12 hots up 7/7 Hobart Mercury Nutrients may stop ageing p12 7/7 Hobart Mercury Doctors want $25m to fill in forms p12 7/7 Hobart Mercury Simple test for bone density cheaper, p22 better 5/7 NT News Germ hitting city not influenza: doc p4 3/7 Examiner Two new facilities for mentally ill in p5 (Launceston) North 3/7 Examiner New phase at St Vincent�s p6 (Launceston) 3/7 Examiner Longford hospital jobs more secure p8 (Launceston) ____________________________________________________________________________ HealthMonitor is produced by Media Monitors ACT Pty Ltd ACN 008 597 939 - Australia's leading media information service. 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