MEDI INFO
The E-Mail News Letter of the
Medical Informatics Committee of the
Sri Lanka Medical Association ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vol 2: No 7: 1998 AUGUST ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
1.THIS MONTH'S HEALTH MESSAGE FROM THE SLMA
2.SLMA NEWS
3.MEDICAL INFORMATICS OPENDAY
4.SPECIAL OFFERS TO SLMA MEMBERS
5.THE FIRST FIMS APPROVED TEAM PHYSCIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE
6.SRI LANKA TOUR OF ENGLAND: LIVE SCORES
7.SRI LANKA STATISTICS
8.SUBSCRIBER SUPPORT
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1.THIS MONTH'S HEALTH MESSAGE FROM THE SLMA
"SMOKING IS A MAJOR RISK FACTOR FOR HEART DISEASE"
If you want more information on dangers of Tobacco Smoking and Alcohol then contact the SLMA committee on Tobacco and Alcohol.
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2.SLMA NEWS
***SLMA - THE CRICKET CHAMPIONS!
The six a side cricket tournament organised by the OPA was held on 12th July 1998 at BRC grounds Colombo. SLMA became the champions! Man of the tournament and man of the finals both were won by the SLMA team members.
***FOUNDATIONS SESSIONS OF SLMA WILL BE HELD ON 6TH NOVEMBER 1998
***112TH SLMA ANNUAL ACADEMIC SESSIONS 1999 -MARCH 24 - 27, 1999 AT HOTEL TOPAZ & TOURMALINE, KANDY. Please see SLMANews for more details.
***REGIONAL MEETING WITH COLOMBO NORTH CLINICAL SOCIETY (CNCS)
Date : Wednesday 19th August 1998, Time : 9.00 am - 1.15 pm, Venue : Teaching Hospital Colombo North, Ragama. The following talks will be delivered on this day.
Emergency management of cardiac arrhythmias - Dr Kolitha Sellahewa Management of chronic constipation - Dr Nandadeva Samarasekera Acute severe asthma - How should it be managed - Dr B Wijesiriwardena Symposium on Stroke - Speakers Prof S B Gunathilake, Dr S Senanayake, Dr M T M Rifshy, Dr Lalith Wijeratne Imaging the brain - What’s new ? - Dr K Pathirana / Dr T Rajapakse Recent advances in surgical pathology of breast cancer - Prof Priyanthi Kumarasinghe Cutaneous side effects of drugs - Dr Ganga Sirimanne Hormone replacement therapy -Dr Deepal Weerasekera
***MONTHLY MEETING
Next meeting will be held on Tuesday 18th August 1998 at 12.15 pm at the SLMA auditorium. It will be conducted by Dr H N Rajaratnam and will include: MCQs - On recent advances in Medicine. Case presentation - Interesting cases of liver disease. Review lecture - Monitoring replacement therapy in endocrine diseases.
***SRI LANKA ASSOCIATION OF RHEUMATOLOGY AND MEDICAL REHABILITATION
This new association was formed on 5th July 1998. The committee wishes to inform you that any medical practitioner registered by the Medical Council under section 29, chapter 105, of the Medical (amendment) Act No. 30 of 1987, with special interest in Rheumatology and Medical Rehabilitation is eligible for ordinary membership category II. The life membership fee will be Rs 3000. The fee payable by ordinary members will be Rs 350 per annum. The office bearers elected are as follows: President - Dr A Stanislaus, Vice President - Dr JV Aryasingha, Secretary - Dr (Mrs) ANH Herath, Treasurer - Dr (Mrs) L Weerasekara, Committee members - Dr Lalith Wijeratna, Dr S Jayanetti, Dr N Gunatillaka.
***ALERT ABOUT INTRAMUSCULAR DICLOFENAC
The Drug Evaluation Subcommittee (DESC) has received reports of severe pain, muscle necrosis, abscesses, necrotising fascitis and death with the use of intramuscular diclofenac. Therefore the DESC at it’s meeting of 29th June reviewed these reports and made the following recommendations.
(1). Prescribers should very carefully consider the risk/benefit when using intra-muscular diclofenac. It should not be used for trivial conditions, nor used when oral administration would be adequate. (2). Rectal (suppositories) instead of intra-muscular administration should be considered when pain relief with oral administration is inadequate. Serious adverse reactions are less with rectal administration. (3). Intramuscular diclofenac should be given ONLY by deep intramuscular injection into the upper outer quadrant of the buttock. It should NOT be injected into any other site. The maximum number of injections is two per day (one into each buttock separated by a few hours) for 2 days. (4). Prescribers should refer to the Product Infomation Leaflet that comes with the vials for full information before administering intramuscular diclofenac.
The DESC requested prescribers to report all adverse events associated with the intramuscular diclofenac to the Secretary, Drug Evaluation Subcommittee, Faculty of Medicine, P O Box 271, Colombo.
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3. MEDICAL INFORMATICS OPEN DAY
The Medical Informatics Open Day at Sri Jayawardenapura University on the 1st of Auguest was a success. All the participating institutions expressed their appreciation of the enthusiasm shown by the visitors to their stalls. All of them expressed their willingness to participate in future open days.
The next open day will be announced soon. If you have any suggestions on how to improve the open days or if you would like to host an open day in your institution please contact vajiradx@sri.lanka.net via email or Dr. Vajira H. W. Dissanayake c/o SLMA, No 6 Wijerama Mw, Colombo 7. via snail mail.
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4. SPECIAL OFFERS TO SLMA MEMBERS
Two companies have come forward to offer special concessions to SLMA members.
1.ABC multimedia library at Unity Plaza
ABC Ltd has re launched their multimedia library at Unity Plaza and offer free membership (a saving of up to Rs. 750) to SLMA members. Contact the SLMA office for more details.
This offer is not time limited.
2. IDM Interactive Training Division, No 13, Laurice Place, Colombo 4. (facing duplication road close to unique jewellers)
20% Discount on all personalized computer training courses conducted by IDM IT will be given to SLMA members on production of your SLMA ID card.
Contact Mr Harris Dissanayake at IDM IT on 594654 for course details and registration.
This offer is not time limited.
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5. THE FIRST FIMS APPROVED TEAM PHYSCIAN DEVELOPMENT COURSE.
Sri Lanka Sports Medicine Association announces that the first FIMS approved Team Physician Development Course will be held from 18th- 20th September 1998. The course is for doctors who are focussed on Sports Medicine. It will provide career prospects and entitle the successful participants to follow more advanced FIMS courses which would lead to post graduate qualifications. FIMS lecturers from abroad will be involved in teaching. Successful candidates will be awarded a FIMS endorsed Certificate which is recognised internationally.
Course fee - Sri Lankans – Rs 2500/=, Foreign participants- US $ 100. Only 30 participants will be enrolled
Contact - Dr C Thurairajah President SLSMA Military Hospital , Colombo 3 (431693) or Dr NH Gunaratne, Secretary General SLSMA, Air Force Base, Ratmalana (421354)
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6. SRI LANKA TOUR OF ENGLAND: LIVE SCORES
If you want an easy to access web site with up to the minute cricket scores then bookmark sky sport cricket: sri lanka tour score card page http://www.sky.co.uk/cricket/sl/scoreflash.asp
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. SRI LANKA STATISTICS
If you want instant access to medical/population statistics on Sri Lanka then try.
The Department of Census and Statistics, http://www.lk/national/census/sl_figures95.html
and
The Ministry of Health, http://www.lk/health
The sites may not be up to date. But you have quick access this way.
You can use epidunit@sri.lank.net to contact the epidemiological unit via email. They may help out with your quirries.
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8. SUBSCRIBER SUPPORT
How To Subscribe: send an email with the following message to vajiradx@sri.lanka.net SUBSCRIBE TO MEDI INFO <your name/your e-mail address>
How To Unsubscribe: send an email with the following message to vajiradx@sri.lanka.net UNSUBSCRIBE TO MEDI INFO <your name/your e-mail address>
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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