www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 3rd august 2013
CALCIUM + Magnesium + Vit. D3
SKIN, SKIN, HAIR, HAI NAILS
Beauty T Tablets ablets a
UK’S A AWARD WARD WINNING WINNIN NO.1
Available from Superdrug, Holland & Barrett, Lloydspharmacy, Lloydspharmacy, GNC, supermarkets, health stores independent pharmacies, www www.vitabiotics.com .vitabiotics.com
Most trusted for pr pregnancy egnancy
sponsored by:
HealtH Watch
MOST T TRUSTED VIT VITAMINS TAMINS A AMINS Menopause Tablets
women omenn over over 40 years years Gentle IRON+Vitamin syrup TTABLETS ABLETS For all w
Medical Tourism in Gujarat
29
HEALTH HEAL LTH & VIT VITALITY TALITY ALITY TY TTablets ablets
Diabetes may increase risk of developing Alzheimer's disease
new study conducted by Georgetown A University claims
K. H. Patel, Chairman, GCCI NRG Centre, addressing Medical Tourism Seminar in March, Ahmedabad.
K. H. Patel or an increasing number of Non-Resident F Gujaratis (NRGs) who
visit the State, one of the important issues they need to handle is about the availability of the required medical services. They seem to be satisfied in this regard as every year about 450,000 people visit the State and avail the treatment in varied fields such as cardiac surgery, knee replacement, cancer, urology, kidney transplant, cosmetic surgery and dental care in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat. The State earns about Rs 3 billion every year from NRI patients. Why Gujarat is preferred: The quality of services, including infrastructure & technology, is as good as the one available in European countries including UK, USA and other developed countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada. While in countries like UK the waiting period for the patients to receive the treatment under National Health Scheme is very long, in India one can get medical treatment almost immediately. In comparison with the developed countries, medical treatment in India is available at very reasonable rates. While knee replacement in USA may cost about Rs 1100,000, in Guajrat one can have it at Rs 500,000. Cardiac surgery in USA and UK may cost about Rs 1400,000, whereas in Gujarat one can have it at Rs 250,000. NRIs in USA, who do not have Medical Insurance, prefer to avail the medical services in Gujarat at affordable prices. Consultation fee even in African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania is Rs 2,500 in comparison with not more than Rs 1,000 in Gujarat. Gujarat government and Medical Tourism: Government of Gujarat
has adopted a well thought out policy to develop Medical Tourism. It has fixed a target of 2000,000 NRIs for medical treatment in Gujarat in next few years. The Government is planning to establish a Medical Tourism Counter at the Arrival Area of the Ahmedabad International Airport so that the arriving passengers can readily get required information. What Gujarat government needs to do: Presently NRIs prefer to get medical treatment in private hospitals and not in Government-run establishments, as the latter are still not having the required facilities. On account of this, the State does not earn much revenue from NRI patients. Upgradation of the facilities in Government hospitals would enable the Government to earn some income. At present most of the patients come from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Congo, UK and USA. Efforts should be made to attract patients from the Arab and East European countries also. The Government should endeavour to promote more direct flights between Ahmedabad and some foreign countries as this will facilitate the growth in the number of foreign patients. Simpler procedure to get Indian visa at our embassies and also the increase in the number of countries whose citizens can get Visa on Arrival will help in enhancing the number of NRI patients in the State. At present NRI patients in Gujarat find the requirement of registering with the police rather cumbersome, this procedure needs to be simplified. The Government should consider making the income received by our hospitals from NRI patients tax free as it will promote Medical Tourism. Steps to be taken by hospitals: Improvements
in our hospitals are needed in the fields such as cleanliness, catering, paramedical and nursing facilities. The arrangements to receive and drop back the patients at the airport will go a long way in satisfying their requirement. At times the bills for payment handed over by our hospitals to the patients at the end of the treatment are higher than the estimates given in the beginning. This needs to be avoided as it creates a negative impression among them. The facility for payment of bills in foreign currency will be found more convenient by the patients. Arrangements should be made to provide non-vegetarian food to those NRI patients who require it. Another important point is the availability of interpreters for those patients who may not know our languages. Accreditation for the hospitals: It is well known that in the developed countries such as United States, the hospitals as well as doctors need their licenses to be renewed periodically on the basis of their record. In Gujarat so far only 28 hospitals have received the accreditation granted by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers (NABH) under the reputed autonomous Quality Council of India. A provision requiring the periodical renewal of licenses of our medical establishments on the basis of their performance will not only lead to the improvement of our medical facilities, but will also go a long way in attracting more NRI patients to the State. The writer is former Indian Ambassador and is presently the Chairman of Non Resident Gujaratis (NRG) Centre, which is founded and maintained by Government of Gujarat and located at Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ahmedabad.
Alzheimer'a patients could also have pre-diabetes. It has been found that many people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease also have pre-diabetes, suggesting one problem could be the cause of the other. Georgetown University neurologist R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD, study examines resveratrol, a compound found in red grapes and red wine, to see if it might change glucose levels in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). He said that resveratrol is believed to act on proteins in the brain in a way that mimics effects of a low-calorie diet. Turner, director of the Georgetown University Medical Center’s Memory Disorders Program that its known from animal studies that caloric restriction prevents diseases of aging like diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Considering flip side of the coin, having diabetes increases one’s risk of developing AD, so perhaps
Even a few extra pounds can be deadly for your heart
eing overweight can raise the risk of heart B disease as well as diabetes
and high blood pressure. A large-scale study, conducted on 200,000 people by a team at Uppsala University in Sweden, proved that an increase of one unit of Body Mass Index, between four and 12lbs depending on height, makes people at least 20 per cent more likely to develop heart failure. The group also analyzed whether an alteration in a gene, that regulates hunger and increases BMI, was also linked to cardiovascular diseases. Dr Tove Fall said that obesity and cardiovascular disease often occur together and it has been hard to determine whether increased BMI as such is dangerous. It was also found that obesity caused higher levels of insulin, blood pressure, cholesterol and more cases of diabetes.
To Our Readers We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...
by improving glucose tolerance, both diabetes and Alzheimer’s could be prevented or delayed. To join the resveratrol study, participants were first given a fasting glucose tolerance test to obtain a baseline level, and then retested two hours after eating. During digestion, the blood sugar level increases, but the pancreas produces insulin to lower it. A high sugar level after two hours reveals glucose intolerance (pre-diabetes) or diabetes if the level is very high. Turner also informed that the number of people with glucose intolerance (pre-diabetes) was much higher than expected asserting that he was sur-
prised by how many people didn’t know they were pre-diabetic, and these are individuals who already get the best medical care Five (4 percent) of 128 participants had impaired fasting glucose levels while three others (2 percent) had findings consistent with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Of the 125 subjects who completed the two-hour test, 38 (30 percent) demonstrated glucose intolerance while 16 (13 percent) had results consistent with diabetes. Thus, the overall prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes at two hours was 43 percent – or almost half of the individuals recruited to the study.
High fat intake linked to increased daytime sleepiness our level of sleepiness or alertness during the Y day may be related to the
type of food that you eat, a new study has suggested. Results show that higher fat consumption was associated with increased objective daytime sleepiness, while higher carbohydrate intake was associated with increased alertness. There was no relationship between protein consumption and sleepiness or alertness. These findings were independent of the subjects` gender, age, and body mass index as well as the total amount of sleep they were getting and their total caloric intake.
"Increased fat consumption has an acute adverse effect on alertness of otherwise healthy, nonobese adults," said principal investigator Alexandros Vgontzas, MD, professor of psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa. According to the researchers, previous studies had found that diet composition affects subjective sleepiness. "It appears that a diet high in fat decreases alertness acutely, and this may have an impact on an individual`s ability to function and also public safety," said Vgontzas.
DIMPLE SELF DRIVE HIRE LTD
DIMPLE VANS - CARS - MINIBUS
Competitive prices No hidden extras Unlimited mileage 3 days & over Special weekend rates Minibuses 8, 12, 15 & 17 seaters Vans & estate cars
Mini Bus (8-17 Seater) 8 Seater from £60 12 Seater from £65 15 Seater from £70 17 Seater from £80 Small Cars from £25 Medium Cars from £30 Large Cars from £35 Large Vans from £40
Tel: 020 8205 1200 / 7898 Fax: 020 8200 7426 www.dimpleselfdrive.com Email:dimplemotors@aol.com 19 Varley Parade, Edgware Road, London NW9 6RR