World Day for Safety and Health at Work was celebrated last Saturday 28 April. These two are important for a better productivity of the employee. In Mauritius, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) ensures the protection and health of employees. The employer has the entire responsibility to see to it that the health of his employees is protected, according to OSHA.

Two patients suffering from severe visual impairment can now breathe a sigh of relief thanks to corneal transplants performed by a specialised team led by Dr Bharati Sharma, consultant ophthalmologist.

Being cheerful may protect against heart problems, say US experts. Happy, optimistic people have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, a Harvard School of Public Health review of more than 200 studies - reported in Psychological Bulletin - suggests.

Early milk feeds ‘benefits premature babies’
At-risk premature babies would benefit from being given milk feeds earlier, a study has suggested. The University of Oxford study found babies were not at a higher risk of severe bowel problems if moved off IV-feeds early, as was feared.

Mauritians are known for leading a sedentary life. For this reason, the Ministry of Health has elaborated an action plan to promote physical activity.

Change of season brings with it communicable diseases like flu, gastroenteritis and conjunctivitis. This is why it is important to take preventive measures to avoid contracting any of these diseases. More details with Dr Veenoo Basant Rai, Director of the Medical Unit at the Ministry of Social Security and Dr Sanjay Goorah, Community Physician at Communicable Diseases Control Unit (CDCU), Ministry of Health.

Shift workers ‘risking’ Type 2 diabetes and obesity
Shift workers getting too little sleep at the wrong time of day may be increasing their risk of diabetes and obesity, according to researchers. The team is calling for more measures to reduce the impact of shift working following the results of its study.

Mauritius ranks third in the world as far as the prevalence of diabetes is concerned. One out of two Mauritians is either diabetic or has already reached the pre-diabetic stage. It is thus necessary to adopt a healthy lifestyle to minimise the risk of contracting the disease.

In need of a face lifting? Thanks to aesthetics medicine, there is no need to undergo plastic surgery to get a younger look. This new specialisation is very much appreciated and on demand in Europe and is even overtaking plastic surgery, says Dr Veyasen Pyneeandee, gynaecologist specialised in aesthetics medicine.

Playing music to patients while they go under the knife reduces their anxiety and may even aid healing, surgeons say. Easy listening tracks and chart hits can have a calming effect on patients who are awake for surgery under local anaesthetic, a team at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford found. Listening to the radio also helps.

The Ministry of Health set up a national committee on drugs monitoring in 2011 with the objective of monitoring the unexpected and serious secondary effects of medicines. Dr Hoy Yee, President of the Drugs Monitoring Committee, and Sarita Pulton-Boolell, Senior Pharmacist at the Ministry of Health and member of the Committee, were on Xplik ou K Santé on Radio Plus to talk on its importance.

Long hours in front of the screen
Spending long hours in front of a computer screen can be detrimental to the eyes. Dr Gunnoo-Kowlessur explains that it can lead to the drying out of the eyes but points out that the problem is benign. She recommends taking regular poses instead of sitting in front of the screen for hours.