Latest news with #Foot
Borneo Post
15-05-2025
- Health
- Borneo Post
Hand hygiene is daily defence, not just campaign, says Sibu Hospital director
(From left) Molly, Dr Vivek, Dr Nanthakumar, Lau, and Dr Nizam pose for a photo-call, while showing their palms in a symbolic gesture to mark World Hand Hygiene Day. SIBU (May 15): In conjunction with World Hand Hygiene Day, Sibu Hospital launched a comprehensive campaign to emphasise the importance of hand hygiene, not just as an annual initiative but as a daily practice to prevent infectious diseases. Sibu Hospital director Dr Nanthakumar Thirunavukkarasu stressed that proper hand hygiene should become a regular habit, particularly at home, alongside healthcare settings. 'True hand hygiene goes beyond campaigns. Making it a daily routine can significantly reduce illnesses, especially among children and parents,' he said. During the launching of the event yesterday, various awareness activities were held, including a hand hygiene video competition involving over 900 hospital staff, from doctors and nurses to support personnel. These efforts, according to Dr Nanthakumar, are crucial in improving compliance scores, which he noted could rise from 80 per cent to 90 per cent through sustained education and engagement. He also highlighted how the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the effectiveness of hand-washing and mask-wearing in reducing the spread of diseases such as influenza and Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). 'Simple actions like washing hands and wearing masks can curb the spread of infections,' he said. Dr Nanthakumar further warned of growing risks within hospitals due to the presence of drug-resistant organisms Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO). 'In such times, surveillance and response must be heightened. Hand hygiene is a basic, yet powerful defence,' he added. He also advocated for a holistic approach to health, encouraging good hygiene, healthy eating, and lifestyle habits to prevent disease and reduce reliance on strong antibiotics, which are becoming less effective due to rising resistance. Present at the event were Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker and Lanang MP Alice Lau, alongside key officials from the State Health Department (JKNS), including senior principal assistant director Dr Vivek Vijayan, Sibu Hospital deputy director Dr Nizam Ishak, and JKNS infection control coordinator Matron Molly Hafsah Jemat. The World Hand Hygiene Day, spearheaded by the World Health Organisation, promotes the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare and everyday life under this year's campaign themed 'It Might Be Gloves, But It's Always Hand Hygiene'. Dr Nanthakumar Thirunavukkarasu lead Sibu Hospital World Hand Hygiene Day
The Star
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Selangor strengthens measures to curb rise in HFMD cases
KLANG: A series of proactive and comprehensive measures has been initiated to address the rising cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Selangor. State Health Department director Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin said the steps include early alerts, community engagement, institutional support, enhanced surveillance, targeted closure of institutions, continuous monitoring and transparency. 'We have observed a growing trend of HFMD cases in Selangor since late 2024, and an official alert was issued to all district health offices on Jan 2,' she said. Multiple town hall sessions and briefings have been conducted across Selangor's nine districts to educate childcare institutions and the public about HFMD prevention, Dr Ummi Kalthom explained. She also noted that inter-agency meetings were held with the state's education department, social welfare department, Islamic pre-schools, Selangor Islamic Religious Department, the National Unity and Integration Department and childcare operators to coordinate prevention and control efforts. 'Current data shows that most cases are caused by Coxsackie A16 (81.1%), which typically leads to mild illness. A small proportion of five cases involve the more severe Enterovirus 71. 'To date, no deaths have been reported in Selangor.' Institutions and childcare facilities hit by HFMD were temporarily closed under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342). 'Sanitation protocols are enforced to reduce transmission, with most centres closed for at least three to five days to allow for proper disinfection.' She also clarified that although Selangor has recorded the highest number of HFMD cases, the state's incidence rate, when adjusted for population size, ranks sixth. As of Epidemiological Week 17/2025, Selangor has recorded 27,118 cases, marking a more than 100% increase compared to the same period last year. Malaysian Public Health Physicians' Association president Prof Dr Jamalludin Ab Rahman said the rise is not unexpected. 'HFMD tends to occur in cycles every few years. It primarily affects young children and spreads easily in places like kindergartens and schools, particularly when they reopen after the holidays. 'The current surge follows the usual seasonal trend, as cases often rise during the south-west monsoon season due to changes in temperature, humidity and wind. 'Other countries in the region also experience similar patterns.'
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rapper Flo Milli Welcomes Her First Baby, a Boy: 'I Got You Forever'
Flo Milli is now a mom! The platinum-selling rapper, 25, announced on Friday, April 25, that she welcomed her first baby, a boy. Sharing an Instagram post that featured a photo of herself holding her newborn son, Flo wrote in her caption, "& yall bett not play bout yall internet nephew 🩵." The image, which featured the "Never Lose Me" artist holding her little one as he wore a diaper, appeared to be taken while the rapper was still in the delivery room. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FLOSKI ✩ (@flomillishit) Related: Flo Milli's Latest Era Reminded Her That She's 'Versatile' — Her Foot Locker X New Balance Campaign Proves It Too (Exclusive) Several fans and industry peers congratulated the star on her new arrival, including Latto, GloRilla, TiaCorine, Coi Leray, SZA, Halle Bailey and Baby Tate. "Awwww he's gorgeous and perfect I can TELL," SZA wrote underneath the post. "😫🥺 congratulations! ❤️❤️❤️❤️" "Congrats Floskiii 🥹💙," Latto added. Flo, whose real name Tamia Monique Carter, later reposted a video on her Instagram Stories of herself jamming out to a Young Thug song in the delivery room. She then shared an additional snap of her baby on Saturday, April 26, alongside the caption, "The best feeling, I got you forever." Flo previously gave her fans a heads-up that she was set to give birth when she shared an image of a delivery room on Instagram with the caption, "Y'all pray for me 😭👩🏾🍼🍼." Later, the rapper shared a post on X of a voice note from fellow MC Anycia, who apparently sang her an impromptu cover of Corbin Bleu's "Push It To The Limit" from Disney Channel's Jump In. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Vibe reported in March that rapper G6Reddot is the father of Flo's newborn. He shared his own baby pics on Instagram this week, which showed him holding his child and a few bottles of milk. "Welcome my first born sixx 💤🧟," he captioned the carousel post. "It's not easy being a black father in America Dey already counting me out." The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Flo confirmed her pregnancy last year, when she posted the message "flo mommy s---" on X in November — in a nod to her popular "Flo Milli s---" catchphrase. "I can't even see my coochie nomore that's crazy," she also joked at the time. Before announcing her pregnancy, Flo caught up with PEOPLE in June 2024 to chat about her third full-length project Fine Ho, Stay, as well as her internet-backed smash "Never Lose Me," for which she tapped both SZA and Cardi B for a remix. Flo released her most recent single, the T-Pain collaboration "Gripper," on April 25. Read the original article on People
New Statesman
23-04-2025
- General
- New Statesman
Thought experiment 10: The Trolley Problem
Illustration by Marie Montocchio / Ikon Images Philippa Foot set the trains, or trolleys, in motion. In 1967, Foot, a well-to-do Englishwoman, the granddaughter of the former US president Grover Cleveland, published an article about abortion. Foot was then Oxford-based and this was the year that abortion was legalised in the UK. Among the questions that interested Foot was whether it might be right, or at least acceptable, to take the life of the foetus as a side effect of a medical procedure that was required to save the mother. A variation of Foot's trolley case runs as follows. A train is hurtling down a track, its brakes having failed. Five people are tied with ropes to the track ahead. They will die if hit by the train. You are standing by the side of the track and could pull a lever diverting the train down a spur. The decision would be easy were it not for the fact that one person is tied on this spur. Although Foot's explanation is contentious, most people agree with her that it would be right to pull the lever. In 1987 an American, Judith Jarvis Thomson (whom we've met in this column before – see Thought Experiment 2: The Unconscious Violinist) entered the debate with a variation: Footbridge. Once again, the out-of-control train is hurtling towards five innocents. This time you're on a footbridge next to a fat man (to appease modern sensibilities, now portrayed as a man carrying a heavy backpack). If you push the man over the bridge to his death, his weight will stop the train. The puzzle is this: in both cases it looks like the option is to kill one to save five, but in Footbridge, most people believe it would be wrong to topple a man to his death. Why the difference? This is the Trolley Problem, or what Thomson called 'a lovely, nasty difficulty'. It has sparked a mini-industry ('trolley-ology') of academic papers about runaway trains; in some of them, the scenario is so ludicrously convoluted that it is hard to see why we should give credence to any intuitions they elicit. But the problem has proved not merely to be of interest to philosophers. Psychologists and neuroscientists have jumped on the tram-wagon; so too have political scientists and sociologists. Here are the sorts of things that have been studied. Does it make a difference if you're forced to wait a few seconds before responding to trolley scenarios, or if the scenarios are presented in your second language? What happens if those who'll be killed are in your 'out-group'? Suppose you could push one chimpanzee over the footbridge to save five chimpanzees – in other words, is it more acceptable to apply a crude utilitarian calculation to animals than humans? My favourite study varied the name of the Fat Man. He was called Tyrone Paton (a stereotypical African American name) to one set of subjects and Chip Ellsworth III (a name redolent of old white money) in another. Pushing Tyrone would save 100 members of the New York Philharmonic. Pushing Chip would save 100 members of the Harlem Jazz Orchestra. Conservatives, the study claimed, were indifferent between these choices, but liberals (presumably keen to demonstrate their anti-racist credentials) were more likely to push poor old Chip. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Unusually for a philosophical thought experiment, the Trolley Problem has escaped the confines of the ivory tower, becoming a meme on social media, even turning up in TV programmes, such as The Good Place. My own view is that the Trolley Problem has a solution – or at least an explanation. The reason it's acceptable to turn the train down the spur is that you don't intend the death of the person tied there. If this person were to escape from the ropes, and flee in time, you'd be delighted. Then nobody would die. But you need the death of Backpack Man – for if he were somehow to bounce off the track and run away, the train would trundle on and kill the five. There are implications here for many areas of life, including the conduct of warfare. There's an important moral distinction between 'intending' to kill civilians and a legitimate military operation in which it's foreseen that some civilians will die. For many years now, the Trolley Problem has been taught to future officers training at the US military academy West Point. There are potential implications too for autonomous vehicles. A driverless car might be unable to break in time from an accident immediately ahead of it, and face a 'choice' to plough on or to veer to one side. Perhaps on the left there are two children, and on the right three adults. How should the car be programmed to respond? Still, trolley-ology, one of the most famous thought experiments, has been so exhaustively analysed one detects a sense of exasperation within the profession whenever the topic is wheeled on. The out-of-control train may finally be running out of steam. David Edmonds is the author of 'Would You Kill the Fat Man?'. [See also: Thought experiment 9: Mary's Room] Related
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The 8 best walking shoes for all-day comfort, according to podiatrists and testers
Those walking shoes you bought looked like they'd be comfortable. They even felt comfortable for the first few hours you wore them. But then — boom! — blister city. And your poor, aching soles — looks like that plantar fasciitis is back in full swing. Next time, instead of just eyeballing it, focus on the actual comfort factors (specific structural features and the materials used, for instance) to ensure that your new kicks are going to deliver on their promise of keeping your feet cradled in comfort and pain-free all day long. We asked two podiatrists — Dr. Jodi Schoenhaus, DPM, RPhs, FACFAS, an award-winning and board-certified podiatrist at the Foot, Ankle & Leg Vein Center, and Dr. Bruce Pinker, DPM, owner of Progressive Footcare, to break it down for us to help us find the best walking shoes to get us through our days. Read more: The 12 most comfortable walking shoes for women in 2025, tested and approved Read more: These are the best Hoka shoes for walking in 2025 In general, there are certain structural features that make a walking shoe a standout. Here's a cheat sheet. Arch support This refers to structural support beneath your foot's natural curve, helping to keep your foot aligned, distribute weight evenly and reduce strain that can cause pain or injury. It's one of the most important structural features in a shoe, hands down. "Whether you have flat feet or a high arch foot type, a shoe with a supportive arch is favorable over a flat shoe," says Schoenhaus. Ever worn slides with board-flat soles, only to feel your plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis flare up? That's because there was nothing to cushion your foot's curve, forcing your anatomy to overcompensate. If your shoes lack proper support, you can upgrade them with inserts like these popular arch supports. Roomy toe box A roomy toe box gives your toes space to spread naturally, instead of being squished like sardines. It's essential for wider feet or bunions and helps improve balance, stride, and blister prevention and helps to to keep blisters at bay. "Adequate room in the toe box can prevent cramping of toes and reduce the onset of hammertoes, blisters, ingrown toenails and neuromas," says Pinker. Bonus points if your shoe has pinholes for airflow, which can help "prevent [the] onset of athlete's foot, warts and toenail fungus." Bottom line, give your pointy-toed shoes the boot — they're cute, but they're doing your feet no favors. Shock-absorbent sole "The sole of the shoe should be made with materials that are good for shock absorption. These include rubber or cork," notes Schoenhaus. She's referring to the cushy insole in a shoe that soaks up the impact when your feet hit the ground — think of it as a mini mattress for your steps. It's crucial for reducing stress on your joints, namely your knees and ankles, and warding off arthritis in the long run. "By having the sole of the shoe absorb the impact of hitting the ground during gait, forces are taken off of the joints of the foot, ankle, knee, hip and low back," she adds. If you've ever had aching joints after pounding pavement or standing all day, your shoes may have been lacking proper shock absorbency. Firm heel counter That sturdy bit at the back of a shoe? It's a heel counter, and a firm one wraps around your heel to hold it steady. Pinker emphasizes the importance of this feature for stability, as it stops your foot from wobbling or rolling, so you can avoid painful twists and rolls. A heel counter is usually crafted from tough stuff like plastic, reinforced leather or even a stiff fabric blend, which gives your shoe a solid backbone. Grippy outsoles Look out for rugged, traction-packed bottoms to your shoes. Outsoles should ideally be made of rubber (and never leather) with deep treads to clutch the ground, because "appropriate traction can prevent slippage," says Pinker. Schoenhaus recommends avoiding rigid shoes with soles that don't bend at all. Soft, breathable upper When it comes to the upper material of your walking shoe (aka, the upper) leather is best, says Pinker. Just but make sure it's not too stiff. Look for soft, forgiving materials that support without squeezing, wick sweat to dodge blisters and flex enough so your stride stays irritation-free. No worries if you're not taking notes. Below, we've rounded up eight pairs of comfortable walking shoes, each of which has been tested by our team of experts and is a standout when it comes to the particular features that Pinker and Schoenhaus advocate for. Any one of these shoes is a giant step in the right direction, whether you have chronic foot pain or just prioritize comfort wherever you roam. The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
