Some 450 firms in the health industry are meeting at the Hotel Ramada Herradura in Belén as part of the first Latin American congress of medicine and well being.
The event is being sponsored, in part, by the Cámara de Exportadores de Costa Rica, which said it sees the country positioning itself as one of the leaders in the $40 billion medical tourism industry. Read more »
Ethel Trejos, the director of epidemiological surveillance at the Ministerio de Salud (Health Ministry) confirmed that according to the latest results Costa Rica will not be hit by a second wave of the AH1N1 flu virus as had been expected before.
The director explained that the current strain of the virus in Costa Rica is different than that of last year and that No NEW deaths have been attributed to the virus.
50 people lost their lives to the AH1N1 last year.
Banco Nacional will be lending funds to many health providers practicing in Costa Rica. The money is designated to obtain official international certification.
Costa Rican medics are undoubtedly some of the finest in the world. Most have been trained in the US. The money will help local providers meet the international requirements so they can market more effectively for medical tourism.
The minister de Salud, María Luisa Ávila, says that the first to receive the vaccine are those in the high risk group: hypertense, diabetics, obese and pregnant.
Ávila explained that 1.7 million Costa Ricans will be vaccinated against the swine flu virus as soon as the vaccine is available in the country. The vaccinations will be free of charge. Read more »
On Wednesday the company representatives gave out some of 430,000 diapers at Cuidados Paliativos for use by incontinent adults. Next recipient is Patronato Nacional de la Infancia. The Patronato will get a total of 312,000 diapers designated for distribution to adolescent mothers. After that the representatives of Kimberly Clark will donate 761,000 diapers to Hospital Nacional de Niños, and 200,000 diapers to the Hospital de la Mujer.
The donations, that are worth about $200,000, are part of the company’s social responsibility.
The officials released the results of a tobacco survey. Below are some findings.
Only 8 percent of the interviewed don’t support prohibiting cigarette advertising.
94 percent of the 1,800 respondents believed that second-hand smoke is a major problem.
65 percent confirmed they are directly exposed to the second-hand smoke.
55 percent of the interviewed said that they smoked with nearly all preferring cigarettes.
53 percent believe that officials never punish store owners who sell cigarette to minors.
The legislation being considered would implement the World Convention for the control of Tobacco in Costa Rica.
One of the most important items is prohibiting smoking at work or in public places.
The plant that was closed because agricultural chemicals were leaking into nearby ditches and rivers.
The reopening of that Del Monte plant is conditioned on the company constructing water treatment and holding facilities.
Del Monte proposed to curtail the restrictions, but the proposal was rejected by the tribunal.
It appears that Del Monte will be removing pineapple cultivation from locations that are too close to the streams.
Did you know that the World Health Organization currently ranks Costa Rica as having the 36th best health care system in the world? The U.S. is ranked 37th.
Nuclear medicine scans provide the most useful information needed to carry out a diagnosis or to determine appropriate treatment, without any risk to the patient. For many diseases it’s the only way of diagnosis.
Costa Rican Medical Care, a medical tourism agency specializing only in Costa Rican medical providers is now able to offer PET/CT scans in Costa Rica. Read more »
With its beautiful scenery, friendly locals and temperate climate, Costa Rica has long attracted travelers in search of adventure and relaxation. What many are quickly realizing is that Costa Rica is much more than an eco-tourism destination. It is also home to highly trained physicians that provide quality health care at a fraction of the cost compared to the United States and Canada.
The last decade has seen a boom in the plastic surgery tourism sector in Costa Rica. The country’s excellent reputation owes to the professionalism of its US-trained doctors and a great selection of cost-effective procedures. Cosmetic surgery is so affordable that the total cost of a vacation including procedure, airfare, accommodations and a few days of sightseeing is often far less than the surgery alone performed in the United States. Plastic surgery would cost you a third or less of what you pay in the U.S., without compromising quality or results. Read more »
The outbreak is attributed to the Clostridium difficile bacteria which naturally reside in the body. The problem occurs when the bacteria become overgrown. The overgrowth is harmful because the bacterium releases toxins that can cause bloating, constipation, and diarrhea particularly when the internal flora of the body is changed by the use of antibiotics.
Officials at Hospital San Juan de Dios confirmed that bacteria outbreak infected more than 200 patients and may have had a role in the death of 7.
The environmental watchdog, The Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo, ordered Del Monte to close its pineapple production facilities in Siquirres Monday, May 18th, because of high levels of chemicals in the local water sources.
The tribunal said that laboratory tests confirm a high presence of bromacil and other agrochemicals (such as the fungicides triadimephon, clorotalonil and difenoconazol) in waste water that flowed into the Río Destierro. The level of bromacil exceeds eight times the amount permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read more »
The Costa Rican Partido Acción Ciudadana (Party of Citizen Action), is seeking to introduce a new law designed to eliminate (or severely reduce) the use of tobacco in Costa Rica.
The proposal is stricter than the laws proposed in the past. It will prohibit smoking in public places such as bars, restaurants, soccer stadiums and in the workplace.
It will also limit cigarette advertising during premium programs and forbid sponsoring of sporting and other events.
The measure will require larger health warnings on cigarette packs as well.
The legislature has already passed the World Health Organization Convention on tobacco. The new law seeks to make Costa Rica comply with the treaty against tobacco.
As of today, Costa Rica has only nine confirmed cases. but the health ministry says that five more cases are probable. Three of those cases are persons who had been in contact with the Boston Canta Mundi choir.
So far out of the suspected 873 cases, 735 have been discarded in Costa Rica.
In spite of all the scare, the World Health Organization believes that this particular pandemic has nothing to do with the severity of the disease, but rather with its geographic spread, and so far, it has been relatively mild.
Source: World Health Organization
Subscribe: 
April 27, 2010 9:08 am
Health
Comments (0)
