1Health Focus 28 January 2016

focusCompiled by: Nomhle Kangootui, Phozia Mouton and Deodine Cloete

A Publication of Health

Photo: Yvonne Amukwaya

Health Focus28 January 2016 2

• PHOEBE VENABLE

“WHEN health is absent, wealth is useless,” Herophilus, the ancient Greek physician, tells us. Another

sage of antiquity, the Roman poet Virgil, puts it another way: “The greatest wealth is health.”

Gandhi once opined that, “It is health that is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.” And then there’s this, attributable to just about any Tom, Dick or Harry: “You can’t buy good health.”

Counselled by such wise words distinguishing health from wealth, one might begin to believe the two have little to do with each another. One would be tragically misinformed.

The relationship between your finances and your health status and behaviors is strong and complex.

First of all, to put it simply, unhealthy choices are expensive. The average price of a pack of Marlboro cigarettes in Tennessee today is just under US$5 (it’s more expensive in nearly every other state). If you’re a two-packs-a-day smoker, that’s US$3 650 a year you could have saved, invested or made even more money on. And that doesn’t count the high health costs your smoking habit all but guarantees down the road.

It’s the same with being overweight. If you’re one of the two-thirds of Americans who are overweight or obese, chances are you’re spending more money on food than someone at a healthy weight, and you’ll face the costly ramifications of your weight condition later in life.

In 2011, a George Washington University study concluded the average annual cost of being obese was US$4 879 for women and US$2 646 for men. (The figures include indirect costs such as diminished productivity and direct costs such as medical care.) Invested annually over a 40-year career at a conservative five percent average annual return, an obese woman could have almost US$600 000 in savings and an obese man more than US$320 000.

The economic damage of obesity to our country is staggering and continues

to grow. According to a 2012 study by Cornell University’s John Cawley and Lehigh University’s Chad Meyerhoefer, obesity-related illness costs the US nearly US$200 billion annually, or 21% of our medical spending.

Second, financial problems can lead to health problems and vice versa, a cycle that can become a costly Catch-22. Financial stress can cause anxiety, migraines, insomnia and other physical ailments. It also can mean skipping routine medical checkups, not discovering important issues about your health and making poor dietary and other lifestyle choices. Over time, this can lead to bigger, costlier health problems, which in turn can produce ever-greater financial distress.

A study published in The American Journal of Medicine in 2012 stated that more than 62% of US bankruptcies in 2007 were attributable to medical problems and were part of a troubling trend.

Finally, there’s the grim reality that poor health cuts lives short. Besides the tragic truncation of a loved one’s life, it’s also the tragic truncation of a financial legacy for the spouse, children and grandchildren.

While money can certainly help you improve and maintain your health, too much focus on earning it can be unhealthy, too. In fact, some scientists believe the stress of competition in American society is one of the many factors that explain why the U.S., despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, is far from the healthiest or longest-lived.

So, protect your health — and your wealth potential — by balancing work and play. Be responsible about your career and your physical well-being by exercising, eating right and taking time to relax and enjoy life.

* Phoebe Venable, chartered financial analyst, is president and COO of CapWealth Advisors LLC. Her column on women, families and building wealth appears each Saturday in The Tennessean.

Taking care of employee

• mAriANE AkwENyE

THRIVING companies rely on healthy, motivated people; employees who are productive at work and who have a sense of wellbeing.

In reality, life is not always as simple as that, and employees have to deal with illnesses, traumas, stresses and unbalanced lifestyles.

Employee wellness is no soft issue; human capital is a valuable asset, which should be well managed with as much focus as any other strategic business development. Nomad Corporate Wellness division understands the effect that individual health and wellness has on business. We are specialised to support and give direction in making the choices that build a healthy workplace through employee wellness programmes that have a positive and direct impact on individuals.

Wellness Days are synonymous with Blood pressure and Sugar level testing or World AIDS Day Commemorations, when a halfhearted campaign is run. If a comprehensive program is implemented, they offer many advantages for companies. Over time, they can produce successful results including:• Fewer absences from employees because they

feel healthier and will be mentally and physically prepared to be an asset to the company

• Greater on the job productivity, meaning your company will profit greatly from employee health and wellness

• Fewer turnovers due to satisfaction from productive employees. Top employees will be rewarded for their success, raising company morale in the process

• Less money spent towards health insurance. Less money will be spent on employee wellness programmes that will target employee behaviour.

One of our more successful implementations was installing a waterless hand sanitizer at a company’s customer care section, and this seemingly insignificant implementation reduced absenteeism by 30% as the staff were not off sick from colds or viral infections.

Nomad organises corporate wellness days to suit the individuality of each client. They range from a simple but valuable screening for holistic and social illness but also a maintenance programme – bringing together a collection of informative and healing treatments, expert speakers and lively team buildings.

At the centre of this is the aim to build awareness, educate and remind employees of why their health is important and how life choices impact on well-being. We also guide individuals towards understanding the long-term effects of their choicesMariane Akwenye (Wellness Consultant) +264 81 494 5005

Your health and financial wealth are closely linked

healthy patients, who were nearly three percentage points less likely to die at hospitals with good nursing environments.

In addition, 7.5% of patients at hospitals with good nursing environments died after complications, compared to 8.9% of patients at other hospitals.

Being in a hospital with a good nursing environment cut the odds of needing to be in the intensive care unit nearly in half, perhaps because of better care on the regular patient floors, the authors say.

"We didn’t expect to see that big of a difference," said Silber, who is also a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and Wharton School.

He said hospitals with better nursing environments also provided better value, with better results for about the same cost. And if the cost of the additional nurses is excluded, then 30 days of patient care cost about US$2 000 less at hospitals with good nursing environments.

Ardith Doorenbos, who was not involved with the new study, said nurse-to-bed ratio and Magnet status are both important factors for patients to consider. – Nampa-Reuters

rEADy … A nurse holds a syringe as part of the start of the seasonal influenza vaccination campaign.

Surgery patients do better when hospitals are good to nurses

wellness

SURGERY patients do better when nurses have better working environments, according to a new

study.Hospitals with well-staffed, top-notch

nursing departments had fewer deaths after surgery than hospitals without those high-quality nursing departments, researchers found.

"This study is for the person, referring doctor or health policy analyst asking, 'Would I be better off at this hospital or that hospital?'" said lead author Dr Jeffrey Silber, who is the Nancy Abramson Wolfson Professor in Health Services Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Hospitals with the better nursing departments also had fewer patients die after a surgical complication, the researchers report in Jama Surgery.

Hospitals were considered to have good nursing environments if they had more than one nurse for every hospital bed and so-called Magnet status, which is a special accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

For the study, the researchers matched 25 752 surgical patients at 35 hospitals with good nursing environments to 25 752 similarly-aged and equally sick patients at 293 hospitals without those nursing

environments.Patients were also matched by

insurance status, race and surgery type. Everyone in the study was at least 65 years old.

In the good nursing environments, 4.8% of patients died within 30 days of arriving at the hospital, compared to 5.8% of patients at other hospitals.

The difference in death rates was most pronounced among the least

2

by the 6x PMR.africa Diamond Arrow Award Winner!I am taken care of

2010 -2015

We’re about you

tel +264 61 285 5400 email info@nhp.com.nawebsite www.nhp.com.na

We are proud to announce that NHP has been awarded the prestigious PMR.africa Diamond Arrow Award for the 6th consecutive year!

Join NHP today and receive the best in medical aid cover in Namibia. Your peace of mind is our priority!

3Health Focus 28 January 2016

to grow. According to a 2012 study by Cornell University’s John Cawley and Lehigh University’s Chad Meyerhoefer, obesity-related illness costs the US nearly US$200 billion annually, or 21% of our medical spending.

Second, financial problems can lead to health problems and vice versa, a cycle that can become a costly Catch-22. Financial stress can cause anxiety, migraines, insomnia and other physical ailments. It also can mean skipping routine medical checkups, not discovering important issues about your health and making poor dietary and other lifestyle choices. Over time, this can lead to bigger, costlier health problems, which in turn can produce ever-greater financial distress.

A study published in The American Journal of Medicine in 2012 stated that more than 62% of US bankruptcies in 2007 were attributable to medical problems and were part of a troubling trend.

Finally, there’s the grim reality that poor health cuts lives short. Besides the tragic truncation of a loved one’s life, it’s also the tragic truncation of a financial legacy for the spouse, children and grandchildren.

While money can certainly help you improve and maintain your health, too much focus on earning it can be unhealthy, too. In fact, some scientists believe the stress of competition in American society is one of the many factors that explain why the U.S., despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, is far from the healthiest or longest-lived.

So, protect your health — and your wealth potential — by balancing work and play. Be responsible about your career and your physical well-being by exercising, eating right and taking time to relax and enjoy life.

* Phoebe Venable, chartered financial analyst, is president and COO of CapWealth Advisors LLC. Her column on women, families and building wealth appears each Saturday in The Tennessean.

Your health and financial wealth are closely linked

• NOmHLE kANGOOTUi

It has long been thought that noise-induced hearing loss is a problem for the elderly and adults, not children. However, audiologist

Janet Brits says that is not the case as there are several risk factors associated with hearing loss in children.

“These includes ear infections that were never treated especially among children from rural areas who suffered from some of the most common diseases like malaria and meningitis. And hearing loss is the most common after-effect of meningitis. Difficulties can range from mild hearing loss to profound deafness in one or both ears,” Brits said.

She also advised parents to take babies for hearing screening, before six months or right after giving birth.

“This is a very quick process. The saddest and most unfair thing is to tell a parent that their child wont be able to hear for the rest of

their lives if it was something that could had been prevented,” said Brits.

She further noted that unless your child was diagnosed with hearing loss at birth, there are some early signs a parent should be looking for:

“If there is no reaction to loud noises and no response to your voice. When your baby pulls or rubs an ear a lot, and does not understand directions, or have a fever and ear pain. If you notice these signs in your child, immediately take the child to the doctor, or an ear specialist,” said Brits.

Being in this profession for more than 15 years, Brits said that early detection of hearing loss will permit effective intervention. That is only possible through education, she adds.

Brits said she has a reach-out programme where she travels to rural areas in the North to educate parents on factors and risks of potential hearing loss in children, young adults, adults and the elderly.

“Elderly people sometimes believe

that because they are growing older and experience problems with their hearing, it is normal. In most cases there is hope, so I educate and advise they should get their ears tested. But I am putting emphasis on young adults who constantly walk with earphones in their ears,” Brits said.

Research shows that adults and children are often exposed to loud music. Listening to loud music through earbuds connected to devices like iPods or MP3 players or attending music concerts can cause hearing loss. It also states that the inner part of the ear contains tiny hair cells (nerve endings).

“The hair cells change sound into electric signals, then nerves carry these signals to the brain, which recognizes them as sound. These tiny hair cells are easily damaged by loud sounds. The human ear is like any other body part which can be damaged through too much exposure.”

Over time, repeated exposure to loud noise and music can cause hearing loss, she says.

AUDiOLOGiST … Janet Brits advises that early detection of hearing loss will secure effective intervention. Photo: Nomhle Kangootui

• Janet Brits completed her B Communication Pathology and M Communication Pathology (University of Pretoria, South Africa) which has led her to specialise in audiology. With such a passion for audiology, Janet completed a certificate in Cochlear Implants at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Janet is a registered member at the Health Professions Council of Namibia and the Health Professions Council of South Africa. In addition to this, Brits Audiology is also a member of Namibia Speech, Language, Hearing Association, South African Association of Audiologists, and the South African Cochlear Implant Group.

Decibels of Sound and Hearing LossA decibel (dB) is a unit to measure the level of sound.The softest sound that some humans can hear is 20 dB or lower. Normal talking is 40 dB to 60 dB. A rock concert is between 110 dB and 120 dB, and can be as high as 140 dB right in front of the speakers. Headphones at maximum volume are 105 dB. Jobs or activities that increase your chance of hearing loss from music are:Being a musician, sound crew member, or recording engineerWorking at a night clubAttending concertsUsing portable music devices with headphones or earbuds Children who play in school bands can be exposed to high decibel sounds, depending on which instruments they sit near or play.

Enjoy the sound of life

We can make it small….nearly invisible.

Call today. Hear today.

Hearing loss can feel huge.

Our next visit to Rundu 15 Feb 2016 Grootfontein 16 Feb 2016

Ongwediva 17-19 Feb 2016Keetmanshoop 10-11 March 2016

Tel: 083 3394477/081 3944770Lady Pohamba Private Hospital Private Suites West 01, Windhoek www.helpmehearnamibia.com janet@britsaudiology .com

ATTENTIONInstruction by professionals

with fun & fitness

And qualify for rebate benefits from medical aid funds

N U C L E U S The best part of your day

NUCLEUS CENTRAL

Tel. 225 493

NUCLEUS BAINES

Tel. 242 547

Also visit us on: www.nucleushfc.com and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NucleusHFC

Health Focus28 January 2016 4

• NOmHLE kANGOOTUi

Dedication in training can have a positive effect on everything you tackle in life, said exercise

specialist and managing member of Nucleus Health and Fitness Club Henk Cloete.

Cloete further said the demands of modern living force all of us to make choices, “One of those choices should be staying healthy and fit, and by staying fit one has to be motivated, and dedicate a daily hour of exercis to keep you away from blood pressure problems and protect you from developing diabetes amongst other diseases,” said Cloete.

He said people often have excuses that they can't exercise or go to the gym because they don’t have time, but Cloete warns that prioritising and sacrifice can actually save your life.

“Exercise helps protect you from a variety of illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and circulatory diseases. We at Nucleus have many clients with these types of diseases but after a few months there are changes,” Cloete added.

He further said that Nucleus has a full cardiovascular section with new state-of-the-art treadmills, upright cycles, recumbent cycles, steppers and rowing machines.

“We provide state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. I studied sports biology and know exactly what the body needs and what equipment to buy. Our facilities consist of two fully equipped gymnasiums. The gym floor area consists of a full circuit, a super

circuit, an area with heavy machine weights, an area with dumbbell’s and barbell’s and a spinning area,” Cloete explained.

He also said because he is familiar with human movement science, he trains trainers. “Our instructors are qualified gymnasium instructors and are always on the gym floor to make sure you follow your plan that we set out for you,” Cloete said.

Cloete said when a client joins Nucleus, the staff will sit and fill out a training programme card with the client to find out what they want to achieve.

“Your personal trainer will work with you to build a fitness programme based on your specific fitness goals and lifestyle,” said Cloete.

Nucleus has two fully equipped gymnasiums – the main branch in the heart of Windhoek at the Old Breweries Building in Tal Street, and the other at Baines Shopping Centre in Pionierspark.

The facilities include clean and hygienic change rooms for men and women with a sauna, lockers, showers, toilets, each with a dressing area.

There is also a neat group fitness area with wooden floor and mirrors in which fully trained aerobic instructors give different group classes on a daily basis.

Cloete said that some of their services include specific sport programmes, weight-loss programmes as well as programmes for people with specific problems and needs in addition to specific diet plans and exercise programmes planning are also available.

If you want to make 2016 your most successful year, seize the opportunity

now and join Nucleus.

Motivation, dedication and sacrifice

iNVESTiNG iN HEr HEALTH … Anna van Wyk who has been a member for three months said that joining Nucleus was the best choice she made as she feels healthier and motivated.

DEDiCATED … A dedicated Willem February with his equally dedicated trainer Heini van Tonder spend close to three hours a day in the gym and sometimes longer. February's entire family gyms. Photos: Nomhle Kangootui

Fast facts • Nucleus exists since its inception in 1990 • Each of the two gymnasiums can cater up to

100 people at a time • They don’t cater for large groups like a soccer

team • Their oldest client is more than 80-years-old

High Care Laboratories

ADDRESS & CONTACT NUMBERS

1. High Care Laboratory- Windhoek (MAIN LABORATORY)

Moved to: Unit 15 &16 LPPH Medical Suites West, Lady Pohamba Private Hospital, Kleine Kuppe, Windhoek

Tel +264 61 250 462, +264 81 146 9097, Cell: +264 83 335 5071 Fax +264- 88 645 476 highcare@iway.na

• High Care Laboratory – Windhoek Deport /Phlebotomy Services Dorado Medical Centre, 137 Bach Street, Dorado Valley Tel: +264 61 402 868, Tel: +264 81 554 9508

2. High Care Laboratory- Walvis Bay Branch Shop No. 11 Nathaniel Maixulili, Kuisebmund, Walvis Bay

Tel:+264 64 221 078, Tel: +264 81 041 0454

3. High Care Laboratory- Otjiwarongo Branch OTJIMED SURGERY, 12 Sonn Street, Otjiwarongo Tel: +264 67302 942, Tel: +264 81 587 6881

Ensuring continuity of Highest Care through the provision of medical laboratory services consistent with the needs of the health care team and their patients in

a professional and caring manner, is our mission

5Health Focus 28 January 2016

now and join Nucleus.

Motivation, dedication and sacrifice

iNVESTiNG iN HEr HEALTH … Anna van Wyk who has been a member for three months said that joining Nucleus was the best choice she made as she feels healthier and motivated.

SOUTH AFRICA • SWITZERLAND • UAE • NAMIBIAwww.mediclinic.co.za

MEDICLINIC WINDHOEK’S UPGRADE IS WELL UNDERWAY AND WILL BE COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 2016.

The hospital’s admission area has been modernised and offers a new look and feel to better address patient’s needs. Work in progress includes an upgraded medical unit, emergency centre and new endoscopy theatre. Patients, visitors and staff will also be able to enjoy coffee and meals at our hospital’s new and improved coffee shop.

We thank patients, visitors, doctors and staff for their patience and understanding during the upgrade process. We look forward to a future of upholding our promise of ‘Expertise you can Trust’ at our new and improved facilities.

AD

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UPGRADING TO BRING YOU THE BEST IN CARE

if you are overweight, a study suggests that even doing lots of exercise will not prevent an early death. Researchers

say it is far more important to be slim, even if you are unfit. For years experts have believed it is possible to be ‘fat but fit’ and still relatively healthy.

This led to some heavier adults assuming a few extra kilos did not matter as long as they took regular exercise. But a Swedish study of more than 1.3 million men suggests this is not the case.

Professor Peter Nordstrom, from Umea University, looked at the records of men spanning an average of 29 years from when they were 18. They had all

joined the armed forces, which involved undertaking a fitness test on an exercise bike when they signed up.

The men had also been weighed and measured, which enabled researchers to calculate whether they were overweight or obese. Professor Nordstrom and his team then looked at which participants had since died from illnesses including cancer and heart disease.

They found those who were fit were generally far less likely to die early than those who were inactive – but this effect was cancelled out if they were overweight. And men who were slim and inactive were 30 percent less likely to die

than those who were fat but fit.Professor Nordstromsaid the findings

contradicted the belief that the obese “can fully compensate mortality risk by being physically fit”.

He added that having a healthy body mass index (BMI)was more crucial in preventing early death than keeping active.

His study contradicts previous research from the University of South Carolina in the US, that found fit obese adults were at no greater risk of developing heart disease or cancer than normal-weight individuals who did not exercise.

• SEAN POULTEr

iN the battle to silence a snoring partner, most find a

sharp dig in the ribs is the only way.

Now scientists have come up with something that could save you from a broken night’s sleep and the snorer from some bruises ... a ‘smart pillow’ named Nora.

Snoring mainly occurs when the muscles in the throat become relaxed, causing them to vibrate as the sleeper breathes in and out.

Nora can be slipped inside any pillow and will gently inflate and deflate in a cycle that moves the sleeper’s head, so opening up the airway and stopping the snoring.

The pillow works in conjunction with a smartphone app and a pebble-shaped device which sits on the sleeper’s bedside table.

This contains a microphone which picks up the early sounds of snoring. It then sends a wi-fi signal to trigger the pillow’s inflation cycle, causing the snorer to move their head. The trigger point can be changed according to how loud a level the other sleeper can tolerate.

Behrouz Hariri, co-founder of Smart Nora Inc, said: “Nora listens for the early sound of snoring … The idea is that we interrupt the snoring right before it would be loud enough to wake someone up.” Nora will go on sale on the company’s website this summer for US$299 (£202). It is one of thousands of smart devices that will be revealed this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

– Daily Mail

Nora has the answer for snorers

‘Fat but fit’ is a myth – study

FAT AND FiT ... Being fat but fit and healthy is a myth, scientists claim.

Health Focus28 January 2016 6

1

We’re about you

by the 6x PMR.africa Diamond Arrow Award Winner!

tel +264 61 285 5400 email info@nhp.com.nawebsite www.nhp.com.na

We are proud to announce that NHP has been awarded the prestigious PMR.africa

Diamond Arrow Award for the 6th consecutive year!

Join NHP today and receive the best in medical aid cover in Namibia.

Your peace of mind is our priority!

I am taken care of

2010 -2015

7Health Focus 28 January 2016

VisionWe will increase the value of our corporation and our regional portfolio of diversified brands by exceeding customers’ expectations and achieving market leadership and operating excellence in every segment of our business.

MissionSJV Medical is in the medical equipment and supplies business and our goal is to provide the highest level of service, the broadest selection of quality products and the most competitive prices.

Strengths• Proven track record• Strong proven management and sales track record• Diversified company with influence in all spheres of service delivery• Strong networks and partnerships with renowned international suppliers • One of the first BEE healthcare companies in Namibia• Efficiency in the delivery of products

Values• Service orientation• Professionalism• Diversity• Equality• Innovation• Ownership & Accountability• Integrity• QualityP.O. Box 3620, Windhoek • Tel: +264 61 253 816 • Fax: +264 61 253 872

E-mail: avictor@iway.na • www.sjvmedical.com

Contact Details: Tel: +264 61 400 342No. 208, Unit 08, Gold Street, Prosperita

Windhoek, Namibia

VisionTo be a profitable provider of high-quality pharmaceutical products and solutions that creates strategic value for our customers and partners and provides a rewarding work place for our employees.

MissionWe innovate and operate in niche areas; deliver high quality products and compelling service that ensure that our customers and partners view us as a long term and reliable partner.

Health Focus28 January 2016 8

GREENMED Medical Supplies CC is a specialised

supplier of medical and laboratory furniture, equipment and disposables established in the year a young Namibian with a clear vision of becoming a market leader in the booming health sector market.

Through hard work and determination the managing director and his strong team grew

the business in the past five years. The company currently operates from the head office in Windhoek and a distribution office in Oshakati and soon to open a third branch in Rundu. The Windhoek head office is responsible for central buying and serves the Central and Southern part of the country while the Oshakati office serves the Northern part of the country.

Our continued industry success is a direct reflection of the solid leadership of our management team. Currently the business have 10 employees

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WE

SUPPLY

SonarsOxygen concentratorsHospital beds (electrical & manual)

Wheelchairs (electronic & manual)DisposablesWe also offer equipment on rentals basis.

WHO ARE YOUR MAIN CUSTOMERS

Private hospitalsState hospitalsHome based care (for individuals)

WHAT MAKES YOUR COMPANY

DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS

While Greenmed may not be the biggest, we aim to be the best, and our intention is to achieve this by ‘getting our basic ABCs right’, by being consistent in paying attention to the finer details so often overlooked in our industry, so that our customers remain loyal and choose to enjoy the Greenmed experience time and again.

We are fully aware that direct competition will emerge as this business grow.

The obvious strategy is to take competitors head on through price wars etc. But we are not going to focus on our competitors and what they are doing, but rather on Greenmed’s own business and core activities, and ensure that our own house is in order.

We have original and value-add service offerings that we will shortly be bringing to both the medical practices and home based care market that will benefit and hold appeal for Greenmed clients, new and old.

CHALLENGES

As does every company, we have had our fair share of challenges including gaining market share from long established companies, securing credit facilities with suppliers, working on shoe string budget etc. Our vision going forward is to rejuvenate our status as a leading player in the medical equipment supply & rental by, amongst other things, re-visiting the basics of the business.

Ensuring our employees’ satisfaction is as important to us as that of our customers, and a key role for the Managing Director is to guide, motivate and be the glue that binds this dedicated and long-serving group together. To ensure Greenmed’s success, buy-in to our vision has to be 100%.

GOING FORWARD

The Managing Director is proud to be heading a team of such seasoned business professionals and innovative thinkers, who have brought a fresh outlook to the task at hand. Practical innovation is now at the heart of Greenmed and with this team in place, we will work cohesively to revisit and redefine existing product and service offerings, while investing in and developing a new and original line-up to meet the ever-evolving needs of the medical & healthcare market.

ADVErTOriAL

9Health Focus 28 January 2016

• NOmHLE kANGOOTUi

medical facilities in Namibia are in general of high standards, especially in private hospitals, as a result many

people cannot afford medical care and rather visit overcrowded state hospitals.

It is against this background that the Khomas Medical Clinic (KMC) decided to introduce the private patient card, also known as the green card.

The card provide members without medical aid access to doctors at only N$120 per month.

According to KMC spokesperson Amore Botes, the card can get up to 15 consultations for the main member and family members.

“If you are unemployed or not a permanent

employee at your work, this card is for you. This card can cover you, your spouse and up to three children,” said Botes.

She added that since they introduced the card in January last year, 1 700 members signed up.

KMC is a multi-disciplinary practice, with a dynamic, young and energetic team which is striving on a daily basis to serve all its patients to ensure healthy long term relationships and improved quality of life.

KMC has four medical practices around Windhoek seeing more than 7 000 patients per month.

“We are opening another branch at the B1 Shoping Centre soon. This will bring our services close to the people. We stick to our

Taking medical

servicesto the people

core principles at all times, as we are here to serve our community,” Botes added.

She also noted that they have their main practice in Khomasdal, one practice called Saunderson down the road in Khomasdal, one in the City Centre at Carl List Mall, another one in Klein Windhoek and one in Olympia and B1 soon to open in Katutura.

“With our affordable green card, KMC is in every corner of Windhoek. We are also open until 22h00 every evening, weekends and public holidays included,” said Botes.

Dedication, loyalty, commitment and belief in the cause by all members of the team, striving for continuous improvement and discipline in all actions are the driving force behind KMC, said Botes.

“We will strive to maintain and establish new practices in line with our motto 'accessible quality healthcare'. We are definitely looking for new ventures in other parts of Namibia, and also in neighbouring countries,” she said.

Amore Botes

If your mind can conceive

it you can achieve it

- Dr Christo Burger

PEOPLE who use electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are less likely to quit traditional cigarettes than people who don't use the

devices, suggests a fresh look at some past research.

"The odds of quitting were 28 percent lower for smokers using e-cigarettes than people not using e-cigarettes," said senior author Stanton Glantz, of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco.

E-cigarettes often look like traditional cigarettes, but they use a battery and heating device to deliver nicotine and possibly other flavorings through vapors instead of smoke.

Glantz and his co-author Sara Kalkhoran write in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine that people use e-cigarettes for various reasons, including to quit smoking traditional cigarettes and to get nicotine where smoking is prohibited.

Both motivations are themes in e-cigarette marketing, they add.

For the new review, the researchers searched online catalogs of medical research to find studies that examined e-cigarette use and whether people ultimately quit smoking.

They found 38 studies, and combined the data from the 20 that compared cigarette smokers who use e-cigarettes to smokers who don't use them.

The 20 studies with combined data were conducted between 2008 and 2015, and they all followed between one hundred to several thousand smokers, typically tracking them from a few months to a couple of years.

Overall, they found that the odds of quitting smoking were 28 percent lower among people who used e-cigarettes.

The researchers also checked to see if the results differed depending on study design, how e-cigarette use was measured, the type of people included in the study and other factors - but the results were the same.

"So e-cigarettes are not only not helping people quit smoking, they’re also inhibiting people from quitting smoking," Glantz told Reuters Health.

It's not clear why e-cigarettes may keep people from quitting smoking, he said.

One possible explanation is that e-cigarettes have been allowing people to get their nicotine fix in otherwise smoke-free environments.

Smoke-free environments are known to be very effective in getting people to quit, Glantz said. "By blunting that effect it’s probably undermining the motivation to quit and the ease of people quitting," he said.

Dr Steven Bernstein wrote in an editorial that one limitation of the new review is that the odds of quitting smoking were not tied to e-cigarette use when the analysis was restricted to people who said they actually wanted to quit.

An additional limitation is that there are only two randomized trials - considered the "gold standard" of medical research - included in the analysis, wrote Bernstein, of the Yale School of Medicine and the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut.

"This is not the fault of the authors; abundant, published, methodologically rigorous studies simply do not exist yet," he wrote.

Glantz said that it's important to acknowledge that some people have quit smoking while using e-cigarettes. Also, four of the studies included in the new analysis found e-cigarettes may help people quit smoking.

But, he said the overall pattern was that e-cigarettes reduced the odds of quitting.

The researchers also caution that these results may changes in the future.

"It may be that next year or five years from now the product will be different along with the marketing and regulation environments," said Glantz.

E-cigarettes tied to reduced odds of quitting smoking

riSky … A man smokes an electronic cigarette vaporizer, also known as an e-cigarette. – Nampa-Reuters

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Welcome to Dr Leon van der Linde! For any enquiries contact us on Tel: 061-44 800 or visit us at B1 Katutura.

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KHOMAS

CENTRE Accessible Quality Healthcare

Health Focus28 January 2016 10

• NOmHLE kANGOOTUi

THE new Lady Pohamba Private Hospital opened its doors last week, providing expanded

healthcare services and experience. This three-storey, state-of-the-art facility promises to provide a number of services not offered at other hospitals.

The hospital is named after our former presidents’ wife, President Hifiki Punje Pohamba. Lady Pohamba is a trained midwife and is passionate about health care in Namibia. The hospital is committed to embrace her passion and fulfill her wish of providing excellent clinical service to Namibians.

The N$380 million hospital, situated in Windhoek’s Kleine Kuppe area, is a proudly Namibian owned and operated facility and boasts with a skilled multi-discipline team, who will be focusing on providing excellent healthcare in the various units.

LPPH also promises high level treatment conditions, more surgery capacity, improved working conditions for staff, and greater numbers of treatments for different pathologies.

Botha said there will be a full range of clinical facilities, including six operating theatres, two surgical wards with 41 beds, a 34-bed medical ward, ambulatory care and a variety of support services.

“We also have a modern and state-of-the-art paediatric ward with 11-beds, a 20-bed maternity ward coupled with a very modern neonatal intensive care unit with six beds, a 7-bed gastrointestinal unit, a 10-bed intensive care unit along with an 11-bed high care unit,” Botha said.

Last week the hospital staff hosted Lady Pohamba and the media on a tour of the facilities. Patients spoken to described the hospital as having a

relaxed atmosphere with a home-away-from-home feeling.

Pohamba was impressed by the hospital, especially by a number of the supportive clinical services such as the radiology department, the pharmacy and operating theatres.

The Namibian also took a tour through Namibia Radiology, and got a glimpse into the future of healthcare, with its latest, digital mammogram machine, CT-scan and MRI digital machines.

Commenting on the surgical suites, emergency treatment rooms, physical therapy facilities and radiological services, Pohamba said: “I did not think it would turn out like this when we were planning it. It looks beautiful”.

An additional support service for inpatients and outpatients is the delivery of specialised care of trauma patients. An emergency specialist is currently training the hospital staff to ensure the highest level of care to complement the standard of our 24-hour 14-bed trauma unit.

Beyond the actual health services, there are many other features, including parking space for easier access (right in front of the emergency department), a cafeteria and a lecture room for student doctors from the University of Namibia’s School of Medicine.

Patient-centred enhancements include oversized windows, patient-controlled lighting and temperature, room service food delivery, and a calm, quiet atmosphere in the wards. In some spaces without windows, there are images of natural settings and fractal patterns meant to help lower patients’ anxiety and blood pressure.

Studies indicate that patients recover faster in healthcare environments with access to natural light and views. At LPPH, patients are assured to find that atmosphere.

in touch with the modern worldA GLimPSE …

The radiology department with

its top of the range three-dimensional

mammogram machine called

the Mammogram Tomosythesis Digital.

Mammographer Jacqui Engelbrecht is

seen using it. Photo: Nomhle

Kangootui

NOW AVAILABLE

WORLD CLASSHEALTHCARELady Pohamba Private Hospital is now officially open, offering professional care in our Emergency Centre, Theatres, Surgical Wards, Medical Ward, Paediatric Ward, Day Ward, Maternity Ward and Neonatal Intensive Care, Intensive Care Unit and High Care Unit. We charge 2016 NAMAF Tariffs. All medical aids are welcome.

Hospital Switchboard 083 335 9000Hospital Admissions 083 335 9003 / 4 / 5 / 6 admissions@lpph.com.naEmergency Centre 083 335 9040Maternity Bookings 083 335 9001 maternitybookings@lpph.com.naGeneral Enquiries info@lpph.com.naPhysical Address Corner of Frankie Fredericks and Ombika Street, Kleine Kuppe, WindhoekWebsite www.lpph.com.na

MRI / CT scan / Ultrasound, Mammograms and X-rays at:

Namibia Radiology

Telephone 083 335 9700Fax 083 335 9710Email info@radiology.na

Exceptional cancer carefor Namibia, in Namibia.

A comprehensive cancer treatment facility in Windhoek, the Namibian Oncology Centre offers the following services:

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accelerator• Chemotherapyservices• OncologyPharmacy• 24-hourcareinourcancercareward• In-houselaboratory• Fulltimecounsellingservices

• Landline: +26483 330 5015 • Website: www.namoncology.com

• 3 Heliodoor Street, Eros, Windhoek • E-mail: info@namoncology.com

HArD AT wOrk … Radiologist, Dr. Patrick Murphy busy at some of the latest digital radiology machines. Photo: Nomhle Kangootui

11Health Focus 28 January 2016

relaxed atmosphere with a home-away-from-home feeling.

Pohamba was impressed by the hospital, especially by a number of the supportive clinical services such as the radiology department, the pharmacy and operating theatres.

The Namibian also took a tour through Namibia Radiology, and got a glimpse into the future of healthcare, with its latest, digital mammogram machine, CT-scan and MRI digital machines.

Commenting on the surgical suites, emergency treatment rooms, physical therapy facilities and radiological services, Pohamba said: “I did not think it would turn out like this when we were planning it. It looks beautiful”.

An additional support service for inpatients and outpatients is the delivery of specialised care of trauma patients. An emergency specialist is currently training the hospital staff to ensure the highest level of care to complement the standard of our 24-hour 14-bed trauma unit.

Beyond the actual health services, there are many other features, including parking space for easier access (right in front of the emergency department), a cafeteria and a lecture room for student doctors from the University of Namibia’s School of Medicine.

Patient-centred enhancements include oversized windows, patient-controlled lighting and temperature, room service food delivery, and a calm, quiet atmosphere in the wards. In some spaces without windows, there are images of natural settings and fractal patterns meant to help lower patients’ anxiety and blood pressure.

Studies indicate that patients recover faster in healthcare environments with access to natural light and views. At LPPH, patients are assured to find that atmosphere.

in touch with the modern world

• BEN SPENCEr

LONDON - Giving up alcohol for ‘Dry’ January could do more harm than good, an expert claims.

The campaign, run by charity Alcohol Concern, has been credited with encouraging two million people a year to stop drinking for a month.

But Hamilton, a lecturer on substance misuse at York University, says those who take part may use it as an excuse to drink heavily for the rest of the year. He said: “Dry January risks sending out a binary, all or nothing, message about alcohol – that is, either participate by abstaining or carry on as you are.

“Although not the intention, people may view their 31 days of abstinence as permission to return to hazardous levels of consumption ... ignoring the need for regular breaks from alcohol.”

Hamilton, who previously worked with alcoholics as a mental health nurse, said the effectiveness of programmes like Dry January has never been “rigorously” evaluated.

He added: “It is not clear who Dry January is targeting. Because participants select themselves it could attract the people at the lowest risk from health problems related to alcohol.”

Meanwhile alcoholics, who are more at risk, should not stop drinking without expert help as they could suffer seizures, he said.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, he concluded: “Parched of evidence, Dry January could have unintended consequences which would do more harm than good.”

However, his comments were met with scepticism. Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, a

liver expert at Liverpool University and former president of the Royal College of Physicians, said alcohol campaigns help people at least to reassess their drinking habits.

In the same edition of the BMJ, he wrote: “What could possibly be wrong with encouraging the estimated two million or so adults who decide on Dry January to take a month off the booze and have time to reflect on their drinking?” He pointed to Public Health England’s study of 2015’s Dry January, in which 67% of participants said they had experienced a sustained drop in their drinking six months on.

A report by the University of Sussex found 62% of participants slept better and 49% said they lost weight.

Recent research by London’s Royal Free Hospital found a month off alcohol could heal the liver, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and decrease the risk of cancer and diabetes.

NHS guidelines published this month advise people to have two or three days off alcohol a week to allow their livers to recover. Jackie Ballard, Alcohol Concern’s CEO, said: “Since we launched Dry January four years ago, we have ensured that the campaign is evaluated to check it really does work in the long term.

“There is a growing body of evidence that having even just one month off from alcohol has health benefits and has a positive impact on alcohol consumption.”

She added that the campaign is aimed at social drinkers, not those who are dependant on alcohol, and that it “can help break bad habits, helping people to reduce their drinking all year round”.

– Daily Mail

SCIENTISTS have long known that chowing down late at night can have negative effects on

our bodies, from weight gain to an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Now, a new study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that late-night eating can wreak havoc on our brains, too. The research showed that making a habit of munching on midnight meals may impair our ability to learn new things and store memories.

"We believe that late-night snacking may affect our learning capabilities by affecting the parts of the brain responsible for learning and memory, specifically, the hippocampus," Dr Dawn Loh, a project scientist at the university and lead author of the study, told The Huffington Post. "The timing of food consumption is what we believe to be the primary cause of the impaired memory that we describe."

For the study, which was published last month in the online journal eLife, the researchers analysed the behavior and cognitive abilities of mice who were put on strict feeding schedules. Over a two-week period, the mice were either allowed to eat during the time of day when they tend to be the most active, or only during the time of day when they tend to sleep, New Scientist reported.

Despite having these different feeding schedules, the mice received the same amount of sleep and caloric intake.

Then, the researchers tested the cognitive abilities of the mice by measuring their performance on behavioural tests. In one test, the researchers determined how well the mice could remember that a specific room chamber was associated with

wATCH iT … Eating at the wrong time can impair learning and memory, a new study suggests. Photo: Getty Images

an unpleasant-yet-mild electric shock after 24 hours had gone by.

The researchers noticed that, when the mice were placed in the room again, those who ate when they should have been sleeping were less likely to "freeze" in fear than the mice who ate during normal hours -- suggesting that they didn't remember the association.

The researchers also tested how well the mice could recognize a novel object, and noticed that the mice who ate when they should have been sleeping were significantly less able to recall the object than the mice who were fed at their normal hours.

The researchers went on to show that molecules involved in memory formation were altered in the mice who were fed when they should have been sleeping. Since the formation of long-term memories is governed by the hippocampus, the researchers concluded that the timing of meals can disrupt hippocampal physiology, and therefore our ability to learn.

"By consuming food at the 'wrong' time of day, we induce misalignment between the various clocks in the

brain and body," Loh said. "This is known to affect physiological processes like metabolism. We demonstrate for the first time that this food-induced misalignment leads to profound impairment of hippocampal-dependent memory as well."

While research on humans is needed to confirm the findings, there already has been some evidence of midnight snacking affecting the human brain, Dr Chris Colwell, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the university and a co-author of the study, told HuffPost.

"For instance, humans' ability to perform on tasks goes down when they're working shifts," he said. "So, there is good reason to shift your core caloric intake into earlier in your daily cycle and to avoid the late-night snacking, especially carbohydrates, which takes away my pre-sleep bowl of ice cream."

Or, he added, if you must eat late at night due to a work schedule or emergency, opt for a healthy granola bar rather than that ice cream.

– HuffingtonPost

Late-night snacks bad for your memory

SiGN OF TimES … Dry January is becoming increasingly popular. Photo: Alamy

why going dry in January is not a good idea

Our objective is to provide affordable, quality and accessible healthcare to members of Medical Aid Fund and the Namibian population enlarge.

CLINIC SERVICES AVAILABLEParamount healthcare Center provide patients access to a wide variety of primary and secondary healthcare services such as vaccinations, inoculations, PAP smears and baby clinics as well as general practitioner services.

Consulting hours:Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 18:00For appointment phone 061 – 287 1103

CANCER CARE – Paramount Healthcare Center and GVI Oncology

Paramount Healthcare Centre and GVI oncology follows an integrated treatment approach by providing consulting, treatment planning, clinical supervision (chemotherapy or radiation), psychological and emotional support to patients.

Our team of highly skilled oncologists from GVI Oncology together with our clinical staff provide world class cancer treatment to patients to ensure the best healthcare outcome available. All patients undergoing chemotherapy will at all times have a physician extender (Dr and or the treating Oncologist) on standby.

Oncologists:Through our alliance with GVI Oncology we have access to six world class oncologists each with their specialized field.

• Dr Conrad Jacobs - Prostate, skin, lung, bronchus,rectum, colon and breast cancers

• Dr Laura Serfontein - Cervix, ovary, head, neck,breast, lung, colon and rectum cancers

• DrRedmundNel-Bladder,prostate,lungs,bronchus,rectum, colon and breast

• Dr Andre Dreyer - Brain, head, neck, thyroid andprostate cancers

• DrRikaPienaar-Allbreastcancersandmanagementof breast diseases

• DrHanlieduToit-Allheadandneckcancers

Please phone 061 – 287 1125 for an appointment or more information.

PHARMACYThe Paramount Healthcare Centre Pharmacy is open to the public and provides patients access to acute, chronic as well as chemotherapy medications. We are proud to be the only Pharmacy in Namibia to also stock the latest fertility medication.

Business hours: Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 18:00Tel no: 287 1102

SUB ACUTE, POST ACUTE & PHSICAL REHABILITATION FACILITY

This Unit offers 32 beds with on call Nurses. The Facility allows patients access to private overnight healthcare at a fraction of the cost of a private hospital. We provide patients with daily physiotherapy sessions both in groups and privately.

Contact us for any informationTel: +264 61 287 1103/1106Fax: +264 61 287 1114/1175Email: info@paramounthcc.com

GP CAREGP Care is an independent practice association hosted within the Paramount Healthcare Centre which provides patients access to quality after hours GP services equipped with their own dispensary.

Consulting hours:Monday to Friday: 19:00 – 24:00Weekends/Public Holidays: 07:00 – 24:00

HArD AT wOrk … Radiologist, Dr. Patrick Murphy busy at some of the latest digital radiology machines. Photo: Nomhle Kangootui

Health Focus28 January 2016 12

• NOmHLE kANGOOTUi

Colon hydrotherapy is the gentle rinsing of the colon with warm water, to remove encrusted fecal

matter, gas and mucus. This allows vital nutrients to be absorbed more easily and leaves you feeling rejuvenated and healthier.

Heidrun Tiemann, a colon hydrotherapist and a registered nurse, said that cleaning out the colon is sometimes necessary.

“Colon hydrotherapy detoxes the body, and conditions that can be addressed are chronic constipation, diarrhoea, leaky gut syndrome, arthritis, joint pains and skin problems,” she said

Tiemann also said that the effects of an unhealthy colon are multiple. If a colon gets congested, digestion is directly affected and can lead to digestive troubles, such as intestinal parasites which can cause many diseases.

“If this situation persists over a long period of time it can increase the effects of many problems like obesity, cancers, hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis acne and heart ailments,” Tiemann advises, adding that poor dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle may lead to a significant derangement of normal colon function and cause the accumulation of different types of toxins. Increasing levels of toxins may negatively affect the normal function of all organs.

Studies also showed that colon cleansing is an effective process for detoxifying your body. It is believed that it not only cleanses your colon, but directly affects the entire digestive system including your stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.

Many people have experienced that

1. Digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhoea

2. Food allergies or sensitivities

3. Anxiety4. Depression5. mood swings,

irritability6. Skin problems like

eczema, rosacea7. Diabetes8. Autoimmune disease9. Frequent infections10. Poor memory and

poor concentration

improved bowel function leads to indirect benefits, such as feeling lighter, fresher, more alert and energetic, thus improving your performance at home and at work. You might have less body aches and pains.

Colon cleansing involves the use of a colon cleanser – usually a commercial product which may be chemical-based, or a product that contains one or more natural ingredients which are claimed to have cleansing properties.

Colon cleansing is necessary

DEmO … Colon hydrotherapy through which encrusted decal matter, gas and mucus is removed.

LONDON – It's a sad sign of the times – the average worker spends just three

and a half hours a day with their family, according to a study.

In contrast they spend three times longer working and commuting.

As a result, most parents feel they are missing out on seeing their children grow up, while more than a third thought their work-life balance was skewed towards their career.

Nearly half of the 2 000 adults surveyed for the Scottish

Widows’ think-tank, the Centre for the Modern Family, said they did not have time to prepare or eat meals with their family. The same proportion felt they could not help their children with schoolwork as much as they would like.

Balancing the demands of the office and home appears to take its toll, with a third of working parents saying their productivity is lower because they are tired and stressed.

Nearly one in ten said they felt they were doing a bad job

both at home and at work.But nearly half of those

who said their life balance was weighted towards family thought they were happier and more focused at work as a result.

Anita Frew, chairperson of the Centre for the Modern Family, said: “The pace of technological advancement has created a constant link between workers and the office, as we face a growing expectation to always be switched on.”

– Daily Mail

The workers who yearn for family

2

by the 6x PMR.africa Diamond Arrow Award Winner!I am taken care of

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Okonguarri Psychotherapeutic Centre functions as a therapeutic community.

Current research has shown that people with personality disorders, anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress, substance abuse problems and other mental health diseases benefit greatly from treatment administered within the capsule of a therapeutic community.

This is why Okonguarri is specifically located in seclusion, encouraging participants to partake in a more symbiotic relationships with others and nature.

Okonguarri Psychotherapeutic Centre is registered with NAMAF (Namibian Association of Medical Aid Funds) as a private mental health facility. NAMAF - approved tariffs are applicable

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info@okonguarri.com.na • Tel: +264 67 697033 • Postal Address: P. O Box 883, Otjiwarongo, Namibia • www.okonguarri.com.na

“An environment free from outer disturbance lies at the heart of Okonguarri’s vision

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