From Yahoo News

Phoning while driving quadruples crash risk: study Mon Jul 11, 7:09 PM ET PARIS (AFP) - Holding a mobile phone while driving more than quadruples the risk of an accident, and using a hands-free phone kit is almost as dangerous, according to research carried out in Australia. cont....

This is perhaps something that we have known all along. Handsfree kits certainly does not increase one's concentration on the road while talking on the phone. Handphone usage while driving remains a distraction that can be fatal while driving. We now even see individuals with bluetooth headseats permanently embedded in their ears even while not in usage.

It is still safer to stop by the roadside while talking on the phone. And please take those bluetooth sets out of your ears before it becomes a permanent fixture for without it you will be unrecognisable!

From bmj.com,

Dutch doctors adopt guidelines on mercy killing of newborns Tony Sheldon Dutch paediatricians have voted unanimously to adopt as national guidelines the so called Groningen protocol that covers the mercy killing of newborn babies who are incurably sick and are suffering severely. The Dutch Paediatric Society accepted that "in exceptional circumstances and under strict conditions... deliberate ending of life" of such newborns "can be an acceptable option."... cont...

Mercy killing or murder. The term as controversial as the act itself. It is a debate that will go on for centuries. Perhaps, the rationale for the "deliberate ending of life" is acceptable when babies are born with defects incompatible with a good quality of life.

Its clinical director of paediatrics, Eduard Verhagen, told the BMJ at the time, "It is time to be honest; all over the world doctors end lives discreetly, out of compassion"

Perhaps he is right. How about the times treatment has been witheld when the situation has been deemed "palliative"? Does that equate mercy killing?

When one has seen great sufferings, mercy killings may not be that far fetched or sinful. However, a fine line exists between euthanasia and murder. You could intepret it either way.

Discuss in the MMR forum

From Bernama,

Johor Umno Says Meritocracy A Form Of Discrimination JOHOR BAHARU, July 9 (Bernama) -- The Johor Umno Liaison Committee Saturday criticised the meritocracy system introduced by the government, saying that it resulted in a fall in the achievement of Malay students and is a form of discrimination and oppression. cont....

It puzzles me why top politicians in Malaysia remain resistant to the thought of propagating meritocracy in education. They remain adamant that special priviledges to a select group is the way forward. They are hardly demontrating leadership when it comes to instilling competitiveness among a race that is clearly being "spoonfed" at this juncture.

They commented that meritocracy "had adversely affected tens of thousands of Bumiputera students in the rural areas who had been denied quality education in view of the "uneven competitive field".

There are two issues at hand here. First, the lack of quality of rural schools. This is perhaps true as well with other vernacular schools. Perhaps the challenge here is to improve the situation in such rural educational centers such as recruiting teachers to such schools and giving them priority in terms of financing and developmental opportunities. Otherwise they will remain of a lower standard and thus continue to be used as a reason not to support meritocracy in education! Continuing with such special priviledges does little in helping such students to become competitive and thus successful beings internationally.

Secondly, the reality in this world is that there is never an even competitive field. Take a look at other countries who implement a common examination standard regardless of one's educational background. You either make the cut or you don't. Even in postgraduate medical examinations, there is no favouritism as to which country you come from. There is no concessions made just because you are working in a rural hospital with no opportunities at getting education and thus are disadvantaged as compared to your other colleagues.

I think top politicians have to rise up to the challenge and move away from your comfort zones. They should instead be spurring the people on with taking the challenges ahead rather than lamenting on the lack of protection. Fields like medicine should never be compromised.

Discuss in the MMR Forums

Condolences to the victims of the London bombing. It was a despicable act and blasphemes the name of God. This act of terrorism only serves to worsen the current fragile situation and does little to resolve issues.

What is more worrisome is that this war will escalate and evolve into a biological warfare. Diseases previously deemed rare but dangerous being intentionally introduced into the society. We got a glimpse of that when anthrax was discovered in the United States several years back. What's next? Plaque? Botulism? Smallpox?

The era of bio-terrorism may inevitably arrive. Being prepared as doctors in such an unfortunate incident is important. It can come in all shapes and forms. It has the ability to hit communities from any direction.

Perhaps we can draw similiarities with the nuclear era and the Cold War. Only now the enemy is highly unconventional and does not comply to norms, basic common sense and much needed humanity. We can only ponder what is in store.

The question is " Are we prepared to act in the event of a biological warfare?

Discuss in the MMR forums

Got this from medpundit,

Modern Driving Lessons: Driving lessons aren't what they were when I was in high school. These days, they include Evasive maneuvers: One of the main lessons of the driving courses is to train the driver's eyes -- through repeated skill drills -- to automatically look in the direction the car needs to go rather than looking at the danger. In the MasterDrive course, lights are used to simulate a drunken driver veering out of a lane into the driver's path. Initially, most drivers slam on their brakes and steer directly into the oncoming car -- some of them even close their eyes and let go of the steering wheel. By repeating the simulation over and over, the driver learns to look and steer toward an open area to escape the oncoming car. Driving Dynamics participants spend part of the course behind the wheel of a patented 'slide' car. An instructor sits in the passenger seat with a control box that sends the car into a skid. Initially it's unnerving and even scary, but with instruction and encouragement, the driver quickly learns how to regain control of the car. We just watched a lot of scary accident movies.

While reading this, I thought that perhaps we should just be really instilling basic driving skills for Malaysians. Just the other day, I noticed that someone had knocked into my car sheering the mudguard off the rear tire and leaving an ugly scratch mark in the vicinity of the back tyre. My car was well within its space in this parking lot and yet this driver, who obviously had little skill in parking, bumped into mine despite the ample space around him/her.

It is amazing how incompetent some drivers can be. I am just wondering if we should reevaluate the examination system for our aspiring drivers. I am still fuming as to how a driver can be so inept in handling a car. Perhaps we should re-examine drivers every 5-10 years before reissuing their driver's license!

From a letter to Malaysiakini,

Remove health warning from cigarette packs Jaafar Ali Jul 1, 05 1:53pm The ‘Tak Nak’ anti-smoking campaign is a pure waste of money and time. It only indicates the government’s convoluted mentality in fighting this brainless smoking practice. A better way would be not to print any health warning at all on cigarette packs. Instead, replace it with the advice ‘Untuk Yang Bodoh Sahaja’ (Only For The Stupid). Nobody will be offended unless they themselves advertise their stupidity by smoking in public places . Everyone will enjoy clean and healthy air in no time.

Despite the author being obviously sarcastic indicating his frustration over the wastage of money on the "Tak Nak" campaign, I thought that his idea was not too far-fetched. Perhaps we should not treat these smokers as adults. Perhaps a little puncture in their ego would do the trick! I have to concur that the "Tak Nak" campaign which cost the taxpayers millions of dollars has been a failure. Despite education being important, giving it the sole emphasis has been unwise.

In many places, successful campaigns have been run when proactive measures are taken. This includes enforcing smoking bans in public places and even to the extent of removing cigarrettes from shelves. I believe our Government is well aware of this issue, unfortunately economic returns has taken precendence over the health of its citizens.

Discuss this further in the MMR Forum