MEDI INFO
The E-Mail News Letter of the Medical Informatics Subcommittee
of the Sri Lanka Medical Association -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vol 2: No 4: 1998 APRIL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
1.THIS MONTH'S HEALTH MESSAGE FROM THE SLMA
2.AN APOLOGY
3.NATIONAL IT YEAR 1998
4.SLMA NEWS
5.READERS COLUMN
6.THIS MONTHS USEFUL LINKS
7.SRI LANKAN MEDICAL BIBLIOGRAPHIES
8.SUBSCRIBER SUPPORT
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1.THIS MONTH'S HEALTH MESSAGE FROM THE SLMA

"QUIT SMOKING AND BE HEALTHY"

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2. AN APOLOGY

Due to unavoidable circumstances MEDI INFO was not published last month.

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3. NATIONAL IT YEAR 1998

This year has been declared the National IT Year. The Medical Informatics Sub Committee has planed a series of OPEN DAYS at regional level to promote the use of information technology among doctors.

The committee is also keen to provide the serious users of information technology in the health sector a forum to present their work. We have planned a Medical Informatics Congress for November 1998.

Await more information in the next issue of Medi Info. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. SLMA NEWS From this month we carry this new section in MEDI INFO will contain a summary of important information extracted from SLMANews the snailmail monthly newsletter of SLMA.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: The list of membership benefits is growing every day. Find out more from the SLMA office.

GR HANDY AWARD 1998: Applications are invited by the SLMA for the GR Handy Award for the best paper in Cardiology. Contact the SLMA office for more details. Closing date is 30th June 1998.

SIR MARCUS FERNANDO ORATION 1998: This years oration will be held on Saturday 25th July 1998 at 7 pm at the SLMA Auditorium. Orator: Dr. C.D.A. Gunasekera. Title - The Role of Nitric Oxide in Childhood Hypertension.

REPORT ON THE WORKSHOP ON 'EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR DOCTORS': This workshop organized by the Health Management Subcommittee of the SLMA was a great success. Participants at the workshop included Deans of Medical Faculties, Representatives from Medical Students Unions, Ministry of Health, GMOA, and the College of General Practitioners. The report of the workshop appears in SLMA News.

THE SNAKE BITE COMMITTEE The snakebite committee has announced that they will be providing the following phone in information services to doctors.

Advice on management:
1. Dr Ariyarani Ariyaratnam Res:594837 Office : 691111 Ext 248
2. Dr Dennis J Aloysius Res:622186
3. Dr Parakrama Dissanayake Res:910767 Office: 691111 Ext 248
4. Dr D U R Gunawardene Res:581064 Office : 828064
5. Dr S A M Kularatne Res:02522749 Office: 025 22261-3
6. Dr M K Ragunathan Res:0922950, 0922334
7. Dr Kolitha Sellahewa Res:577956 Office : 828064
8. Dr Anula Wijesundere Res:810875 Office :583231-3

Information on Snakes: Mr Anselm de Silva Tel. 08-88130

Information on Marine Snakes: Dr Malik Fernando Res : 693352 Office : 074 613862

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5. READERS COLUMN:

A PATIENT SPEAKS OUT

>I am sending this mail after reading your comments in the last newsletter
>that the reader enthusiasm has dried up.

>In my opinion one of the reasons for the poor response is that the Medical
>community in SL is small and most of them know each other, and no Doctor
>wants to enter into any controversial issue. The response will be much
>better if you let them write under a pseudo name.

>I would like to take this opportunity to make a few comments about the
>present Doctor / Patient relationship. Traditionally Sri Lankans respect
>the Doctors and place them in very high esteem, but this scenario is
>changing and the public are beginning to loose their respect, mainly
>attributable to Politics and also because of the attitude of some doctors
>towards the patients.

>The frequency of Doctor's trade union action is not in the best interest of
>the patients, however justified they may be. As you are aware Politicians
>tend to interfere into the appointments, transfers etc etc. The GMOA very
>rightly fights this kind of interferences, but the politicians very cleverly
>turns the tide against the doctors. The GMOA must find alternate ways of
>resisting political interferences rather than putting the public into any >inconvenience.

>There is a very small number of doctors who are behaving like Mudalalis
>with their greed for money bringing disrepute to the hundreds of dedicated
>Doctors. To cite an example I had to take a Patient to see a doctor at
>a popular nursing home, I had to queue up at 4 AM to get a number which was
>issued at 6 AM, then go back home and return at 7.30 AM to make payment, and
>make a third trip with the Patient at 4 PM. Instead of a number the time
>was marked at one minute intervals on the receipt ( probably because a
>number could indicate the total earnings for the day ). Since there were no
>numbers there was utter confusion with all the patients crowding the door.
>As my patient was 82 years of age and suffering from severe pain I decided
>not to put him through the ordeal of entering the room and went in myself
>with the x-rays and reports, the room was crowded with a total lack of
>privacy as there were more than three patients seated inside the room, and
>when I got my turn at 7.30 PM, I briefed the doctor about the problem
>and asked him whether to bring the Patient into the room, the doctor
>did not pay much attention to me and wanted the patient admitted to the
>nursing home the following day for examination by him, when I asked him
>about the cost involved if surgery was necessary, he told me about Rs
>75,000. I wasted nearly 5 hours at the nursing home to speak to the
>doctor for 2 minutes.

>This kind of commercial attitude by the doctors are most unbecoming and
>disgusting. The above is one of such incidents, there are plenty more
>circulating among the people.

Thanks & regards. chullaka@sri.lanka.net

....AND READ THIS PROMOTIONAL EMAIL WHICH CAME FROM jaye@indy.net

>Subject: sssshhhhh! Don't tell anyone, but....... >Hi

>Your health is at risk!* >You MUST get this amazing, educational audiocassette.
>* Hear why 300,000 Americans are killed each year in Hospitals alone.*
>* Learn home remedies for numerous ailments.*
>* Information backed by medical studies from leading U.S. Medical Schools.*
>* Information doctors don't want you to hear, because if you never get sick
>they loose money.*

>What is your health worth?
>If this tape does for you what it has for most people it's worth every penny.*
>If it does for you what it has for many people it's priceless.*

>Send: Your Name, address and email address along with
>$7.00 cash or cashiers check (US Dollars) to:

>McMarketing1278 North State Street, Suite 121Greenfield, IN 46140

>YOU'LL SPEND THAT MUCH ON ONE LUNCH AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT!!!

>Why not spend it on something that could have such a profound impact on >you health.

>Sorry! This offer is only available in the U.S. and Canada

*** Editors:

We welcome your response to both these emails.

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6. THIS MONTHS USEFUL LINKS

Doctor's Guide to Prostate Cancer http://www.pslgroup.com/Prostcancer.htm Doctor's Guide to Osteoporosis http://www.pslgroup.com/Osteoporosis.htm Doctor's Guide to Depression http://www.pslgroup.com/Depression.htm Doctor's Guide to Allergies http://www.pslgroup.com/Allergies.htm Doctor's Guide to Obesity http://www.pslgroup.com/obesity.htm Doctor's Guide to Enlarged Prostate http://www.pslgroup.com/Enlargprost.htm Doctor's Guide to Ear Infections http://www.pslgroup.com/Earinfections.htm Doctor's Guide to Multiple Sclerosis http://www.pslgroup.com/MS.htm Doctor's Guide to Parkinson's Diseasehttp://www.pslgroup.com/Parkinson.htm Doctor's Guide to Arthritis http://www.pslgroup.com/Arthritis.htm

...and try these sites http://home.cwnet.com/catspaw/emshumor.htm http://www.medstudents.com.br/jokes/jokes.htm http://www.webcom.com/mdtaxes/humor.html http://ideanurse.com/lus/ http://www.hypnosis.oaktree.co.uk/mailamalady/ http://www.medmarket.com/tenants/eppub/eppub.html http://searchcme.com/joke.htm http://www.cmhc.com/humor.htm

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7. SRI LANKAN MEDICAL BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Since we published a list of Sri Lankan Medical bibliographies through MEDIINFO and CyberNews section of SLMA news more have been added to the list.
1. Edirisinghe JS, Weerabahu WMCK. Bibliography of Scientific publications of Sri Lanka and by Sri Lankan scientitis relating to medical parasitology 1889-1989.
2. Wickramanayake TW. Bibliography of publications of food and nutrition 1847-1988. Ceylon Journal of Medical Sciences 1989 Bol 31 Supplement.
3. Karaliedda LA. Bibliography of research. Faculty of Medicine, Peradeniya. 1962-1987.

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8. SUBSCRIBER SUPPORT

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How To Contact The Editors: Dr. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake - vajiradx@sri.lanka.net Dr. Shyam Fernando - shyam@sri.lanka.net

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Published by the Medical Informatics Subcommittee - SLMA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------