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Current AffairsWho is to blame for non-gritted pavements?
At the end of last week, the Czech Republic was under ice. There were many
car accidents, some of them fatal, but pedestrians walking on badly kept
pavements in cities and towns were also hard hit. Many of them suffered
arm and leg fractures or twisted ankles. Who is to blame remains unclear.
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Talking PointBronchial asthma in the Czech Republic
I'm standing in front of the magnificent building of the Municipal House in
the centre of Prague. It's a Sunday afternoon, it is bitterly cold outside
but dozens of people are queuing outside a big tent here in the square.
Inside, they can have their lung function tested if they suspect their
breathing difficulties might be more than just that - more specifically,
if they are worried about asthma.
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Letter from PragueLetter from Prague
Accession talks with the European Union are continuing successfully, and if
everything goes well, the Czech Republic will become an EU member in
spring 2004. Although we are being assured that our lifestyle will not
change, I'm pretty sure that it certainly will. In fact, it has changed a
lot over the past few years.
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Current AffairsNew health plan: an intrusion of privacy?
The Czech coalition government has just announced a brand new health plan
it says is needed to allow Czech citizens to live longer and healthier
lives. The broad, long-term plan is anything if not ambitious, presenting
steps on improving public health in everything from child care to reducing
the number of smokers in the country, lowering the spread of infectious
diseases and to even trying to reduce the suicide rate. But, as Jan
Velinger reports, many critics see the plan as meddling in peoples'
private lives, something many Czechs, having experienced life under
socialism, are very sensitive about.
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Talking PointState of public health in wake of floods
When devastating floods hit the Czech Republic in August, many feared that
infectious diseases would spread around the affected areas. Diseases not
only from contaminated food and drinking water, but also from large areas
of floodwater full of decomposing matter, an ideal breeding ground for
various germs. High waters also destroyed a large number of waste water
treatment facilities across the country and those will remain out of order
for weeks or even months.
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Current AffairsGovernment launches fresh attempt to ban tobacco advertising
On Monday, the government approved a proposal banning virtually all tobacco advertising and sponsorship of events by tobacco firms in the Czech Republic. Earlier this year the lower house of parliament approved a similar law but only weeks later the legislation was defeated in the Senate. The new centre-left coalition has vowed to push the legislation through this time. Statistics say 19 percent of Czechs smoke on a regular basis and 13 percent occasionally. According to the World Health Organisation around 22,000 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses in the Czech Republic, that's a daily toll of 60 people. Pavla Horakova spoke to Doctor Eva Kralikova, an expert in giving up smoking. She began by asking her about the trend in smoking in the Czech Republic.
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Current AffairsDoctors leave country for better wages
With less than a month in office, the newly appointed Czech Health Minister, Marie Souckova, is forced to tackle a problem that is driving doctors and nurses out of the country - low salaries. According to the Czech Chamber of Doctors, more and more hospitals are facing problems, and in order to cope with their staff leaving they're employing doctors and nurses from abroad.
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Current Affairs Salmonella cases in the thousands
The Czech Republic is going through another heatwave this week and with temperatures in the low 30's many Czechs are reaching for refreshments such as ice-cream, salads, and their famous open sandwiches. What many fail to realise, however, is that all of these foods contain dairy products such as eggs and mayonnaise, which are often full of the Salmonella bacteria.
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Current AffairsNever look a Czech in the mouth
Who does not hate this sound? Yes, it's a dentist's drill and it seems that Czechs will have to hear this sound more often than they'd like, as tooth decay, especially among children, is getting worse and worse. Pavla Horakova has the details.
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Current Affairs Children learn to avoid injuries
Dangerous children's infectious diseases have been eradicated, but they are replaced by fractures, poisoning, burns and fatal injuries. Experience shows, however, that the number of serious injuries can be reduced if children are taught how to avoid them. And this was the main objective of the National Week of Child Injury Prevention, that ended in Prague on Friday. Alena Skodova has the details:
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