Archive: Society | Health Health
The (smoker’s) lungs of Europe
The Czech Republic today remains Europe’s only nation which does not
restrict smoking in pubs, bars, cafés and other establishments. The
government is pushing to change this, with the Czech Parliament soon due to
vote on a comprehensive smoking ban. But despite strong public support, the
initiative may run aground over opposition against the bill among
lawmakers. More
Planned psychiatry reforms promise more tailored approach to mental health
The Health Ministry has released the first comprehensive plan for new
reforms in psychiatry. The ministry is planning to decentralize psychiatric
care and individualize the approach of mental health professionals.
Critics, though, are worried that the planned changes will result in more
patients falling through the cracks. More
Alcohol testing uncovers lethal levels of methanol in purchased spirits
Free tests of alcohol by the Health Ministry at the end of last year
revealed that every eight bottle of spirits out of more than 7,000 checked
brought in by households contained dangerous substances – 40 of them
lethal amounts of methyl alcohol. The results were announced by the chief
hygiene officer on Thursday, roughly half a year since a major poisoning
outbreak in the Czech Republic. More
Council of Europe urges Czech Republic to improve the lot of people with mental disabilities
The Council of Europe last week released a report criticizing the Czech
Republic for the way it treats people with mental disabilities. The
criticism targeting the living conditions and rights of this most
vulnerable segment of the population is not the first of its kind. The
Czech authorities have previously come under fire for using caged beds in
mental institutions. On a fact-finding visit to the Czech Republic, Council
of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks went further,
arguing that many of the patients in mental institutions could be living a
more dignified life outside of these walls. More
Study suggests broader ban would help reduce the number of underage smokers
More than half of Czechs between the ages of 18 and 22 smoke on a regular
basis, lighting up in bars, restaurants and discotheques. But a new study
suggests that if a strict ban were in place preventing smoking in just such
establishments, many young people might avoid the habit in the first place. More
Government plans to ban smoking, curb drinking in restaurants
The Czech government will make a fresh effort to fight smoking and
alcoholism, both of which have long been a serious problem in the country.
After several failed attempts, the Health Ministry plans to introduce a
general smoking ban in public spaces. In addition, the ministry will also
push for a move that would oblige restaurants, bars and pubs to offer at
least one non-alcoholic beverage at a lower price than the cheapest
alcoholic drink. More
Record number of new HIV cases registered this year
The National Reference Laboratory for HIV/AIDS has just announced that in
the first 10 months of this year alone, the number of new registered cases
of HIV has already exceeded the previous annual record from 2010. This week
the number hit the 200 mark – and it is expected to grow further by the
end of 2012. More
Spa treatment becoming less affordable for Czechs
For many years getting spa treatment covered by the state was one of the
benefits afforded by health sector and all one needed to do was ask one’s
doctor, citing a real or imaginary problem that a month of pampering at one
of the country’s famous spas would put right. Since the 1990s a gradual
overhaul of the health sector has made it increasingly difficult to avail
oneself of this luxury and a new directive introduced as of October 1st has
drawn a sharp line between those who really need spa treatment and those
who are just there for the pampering. More
'Bionic man' defies nature after living six months with no heart
A man who lived for more than six months without a heart died at the
weekend, ending a remarkable experiment in medicine that could pave the way
for improving treatment of heart disease in the future. Jakub Halík, a
37-year-old former fireman, had been fitted with two artificial pumps after
doctors treating an aggressive tumour had removed his heart altogether. More
Despite repeated warnings bootleg alcohol claims more victims daily
In the course of the past week the outbreak of methanol poisonings from
bootleg liquor has taken a heavy toll: 23 people have died and over 35
remain hospitalized, many of them in critical condition. Several have gone
blind. In view of the enormous publicity the methanol crisis has received
and the work of local authorities in spreading the message –how is it
possible that every day more people are being rushed to hospital in
critical condition and why do so many of them come late? More
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