Latest news with #Betamethasone
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Too little, too late – lifesaving chemotherapy drugs for kids finally arrive at Eastern Cape hospitals
A month after the Eastern Cape Department of Health promised that they had paid the overdue bills that delayed the delivery of chemotherapy drugs to Nelson Mandela Bay hospitals and that the issue would be solved, crucial chemotherapy drugs finally started arriving at Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital. But it was too late for some children, who have missed a cycle of treatment, leaving them at high risk. A month ago, the Eastern Cape Department of Health assured the public that it had paid the overdue bills for pediatric chemotherapy drugs and that the problem was solved. Only it wasn't. And medical teams were thrown into a race against time to prevent their little patients from defaulting on their treatment. Crucial chemotherapy drugs needed to treat five children, who have already missed a full cycle of treatment, only arrived at Port Elizabeth's Provincial Hospital on Thursday, 12 June. The five children were just the most serious of cases – many others also missed a day or two of treatment and newly diagnosed patients could not receive their initial treatment. The additional month's waiting could have devastating consequences for the patients. One pediatric oncologist, who works in another province, said they have seen cancer returning if a child misses a cycle of chemotherapy, and sometimes the returned disease will be resistant to first-line drugs. On 19 May, the department indicated that overdue bills, which were the reason for the outage, were paid and that drugs will be delivered. Documents from senior officials in the department that have been confirmed with three sources as authentic, however, show that on 21 May, doctors were warned that 11 types of chemotherapy were not available, and in four of these cases it was due to 'closed accounts'. It is understood that companies wanted a bigger part of their overdue bills paid after an initial payment was made. Carboplatin, one of the crucial chemotherapy drugs, was, however, reported to be out of stock with a contracted supplier and needed to be sourced from another supplier. On 2 June, outages were still not addressed and the hospital had no Betamethasone, no Carboplatin, no Dacarbazine, no Methotrexate, no Leucovorin, no Polygam – either 6 grams or 12 grams – no Melphalan and no Spironolactone. Pharmacies had received Vinblastine (two months of stock) and Vincristine (commonly given as an IV injection – six months of stock). For the next 10 days, patients needing chemotherapy drugs that were out of stock were sent away. Yesterday, on 11 June, an entire contingent of patients were again sent away – five of them have by now missed an entire cycle of chemotherapy or three weeks of treatment. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched an investigation into the repeated interruptions of cancer treatment for public healthcare patients in the Eastern Cape. Dr Eileen Carter from the SAHRC said the Democratic Alliance (DA) had laid a complaint with them about the matter. The oncology units in Gqeberha previously ran out of chemotherapy medication in January after the Eastern Cape Department of Health's account with a supplier was suspended due to a delayed payment. At the time, the medicines that were in short supply were Docetaxel injection vials and Anastrozole tablets. On Sunday, Sizwe Kupelo, the spokesperson for the Eastern Cape MEC for Health Ntandokazi Capa, said the department 'wishes to reassure members of the public that drug availability in our facilities is one of the top priorities'. 'An amount of R284-million has been made available to pay pharmaceutical companies and order medicines. As of the past two weeks, R60-million was disbursed and various suppliers have already started deliveries. This week, orders and payments will continue to be made. To monitor progress, the head of the department, Dr Rolene Wagner, has established a task team led by a chief director to coordinate the whole ordering and delivery of medicines, with oncology being a priority. 'Pharmacists from all oncology departments in all three of our major hospitals also had a meeting with the HOD and pharmaceutical services in Bhisho to discuss their stock levels. We wish to re-emphasise that payment of service providers is no longer an issue at this stage and medicines are being delivered. 'However, we have been made aware that some companies that are on the national contracts do not have certain products available, due to global supply chain issues. 'To address this, the task team and relevant managers are liaising with the national department to seek permission to procure outside the contracted companies,' he said. This process appears to only have been started two weeks after the out-of-stock chemotherapy drugs crisis was confirmed. 'Once again, this is a priority to both the MEC and the HOD, and both offices will continue to monitor and provide support to colleagues on the ground,' Kupelo said. DM
Time Business News
4 days ago
- Health
- Time Business News
Naturally Controlling Inflammation: Betamethasone Alternatives in Ayurveda
You may be aware of how quickly steroids like Betamethasone or other steroid medicines work to calm inflammation symptoms if they have been prescribed to you. Steroids, however, when taken over the long term, bring in unwanted consequences like thinning of skin, hormonal imbalance, or weakness in immunity. Luckily, Indian traditional medicine, Ayurveda, offers alternatives to manage inflammation without using powerful chemicals. In this article, we will see how Ayurveda handles inflammation from the inside out and how you can safely move away from steroids with natural healing and lifestyle changes. You can also learn about betamethasone sodium phosphate tablet uses in this article, so keep in touch with us. In Ayurveda, inflammation is typically linked to an imbalance in the Pitta dosha—the body's energy of heat and change. If Pitta gets out of balance, it can lead to redness, swelling, burning, and irritation, especially in the skin or joints. The Ayurvedic answer isn't a question of suppressing surface symptoms. It's a question of cleansing the body, calming internal heat, and getting back into balance. Ayurveda has a variety of natural herbs and oils that reduce the inflammation without any ill effects: An antibacterial herb with cooling properties, Neem stops the blood from infection and cools the inflamed skin. It is consumed in the form of a supplement or applied in oil. Also known as a great blood purifier, Manjistha reduces heat in the body and is employed for rashes, skin allergies, or acne. An ever-popular anti-inflammatory, turmeric fights off redness and inflammation. Use it with warm milk or topically using coconut oil for convenience. This herb fortifies immunity and helps in detoxification. It is ideal for people who experience flare-ups in the context of autoimmune diseases. This herb is traditionally used on eczema and skin allergies. It purifies the blood and helps in skin coloration. Your diet plays an important role in how your body responds to inflammation. Ayurveda suggests following these changes: Avoid spicy, oily, fried, and processed food. Decrease sugar and dairy consumption. Include cooling foods like cucumbers, melons, coconut water, and leafy greens. Include ground flaxseeds or chia seeds as sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Drink plenty of water and herbal teas like fennel, coriander, or cumin tea. Chronic inflammation is typically aggravated by stress and lack of sleep. Basic Ayurvedic lifestyle modifications can: Do yoga, pranayama (breath exercises), or meditation on a daily basis. Sleep a minimum of 7–8 hours daily. Adopt a routine in harmony with the natural cycles (rising early, regular eating). Tapering off Betamethasone Safely If you have been on Betamethasone for a period of time, it is very important to taper off slowly rather than stopping cold turkey. Sudden stopping can cause rebound inflammation. Here's how you can assist the process: Slowly taper the dose as recommended by your doctor. Begin adding Ayurvedic herbs and topical treatments as described above. Use natural anti-inflammatory creams during tapering. Improve your immunity with Ashwagandha and Guduchi. Although these remedies are natural, everybody is different. For the best results, consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner who will prescribe a customized healing regimen according to your body type (dosha), medical history, and present symptoms. Inflammation is a cry from your body for balance and care, not a band-aid solution. Betamethasone may provide temporary relief, but Ayurveda guides you in healing the root of the problem with herbs, food, and mindful living. With patience and time, natural healing is not only possible, it's sustainable. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-champ Mauricio Lara given 2-year boxing ban after failed drug test, ending drawn-out saga
Former WBA featherweight world champion Mauricio Lara has been given a two-year ban from boxing after failing a post-fight doping test, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed Wednesday. Lara (26-3-2, 19 KOs) tested positive for the banned substance Betamethasone in a sample collected just one hour after his May 27, 2023 rematch loss against Leigh Wood in Manchester, U.K. Mexico's Lara had won the championship three months earlier, knocking out Wood in the seventh round in Nottingham. Lara weighed in three-and-a-half pounds over the 126-pound featherweight limit for his rematch with Wood. That lack of fitness translated to the ring, with Wood easily outboxing Lara over the 12-round distance and regaining his belt. Lara claimed the adverse finding was due to a dexamethasone injection administered on May 12 to treat a shoulder injury that Lara had sustained during sparring, but UKAD denied that the injection was a reasonable explanation for the presence of Betamethasone in his system. UKAD said a more likely explanation for the presence of Betamethasone in Lara's system is an 8mg injection administered on the day of his fight with Wood. The ban has been backdated to March 7, 2024 — when Lara was provisionally suspended. The suspension from boxing and all WADA-compliant sports will end on March 6, 2026. Bizarrely, the process took almost two years to reach a conclusion. In the interim, Lara has been allowed to fight and has done so on three separate occasions in Mexico, winning twice and also fighting to a majority draw. Despite UKAD being aware of Lara's positive test, it did not stop him from competing.
