Latest news with #MPSS
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
IPA says incomplete maternity hospital patient safety reports 'sloppy'
A review of monthly patient safety reports from the country's 19 public maternity units, has uncovered some significant gaps in the reporting of key information by hospitals. The report says that missing information in some of the monthly Maternity Patient Safety Statements (MPSS) reports published by the hospitals involved in the process makes it difficult to form a fair and complete overview of national maternity care. The 13-page review covers 2024 and was conducted by the Irish Patients' Association (IPA), and was submitted to the Health Service Executive. Last week, a review team which examined issues at Portiuncula University Hospital in Galway, recommended that the Government order reviews into other maternity units, to see if similar issues arise. The new IPA review says that if a hospital leaves the "clinical incidents" field blank, the HSE national leadership cannot readily tell from the published data whether that hospital has zero incidents, or simply failed to report. It said that similarly, without year-to date totals from some of the largest maternity hospitals, it is impossible to quickly aggregate total births, or key events rates for the country. Several hospitals left certain fields blank, for example not listing "In Utero Transfers" where the mother is transferred to a specialised neonatal facility, prior to birth. IPA Director Stephen McMahon described the incomplete reports as sloppy and a major concern. The Chief Executive of the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (AIMS) said there was a lack of transparency, audit, comparability and timeliness with the reports. Krysia Lynch said that the maternity safety statements were a great initiative, to give the public a month on month view of what is going on in the maternity services. But she said it is quite difficult to access some of the statements and some are very out of date and the data is not complete. In the IPA review, it found that several maternity hospitals omitted cumulative year to date figures, which the IPA said impairs the ability to see annual trends. Some hospitals did not report total clinical incidents. There were over 54,000 births in the year under review. These monthly maternity review reports were part of a set of recommendations in 2014, by then Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan to ensure early detection of safety issues and to boost accountability. The reports began in 2016. It followed a January 2014 RTÉ Investigations Unit documentary 'Fatal Failures' into the deaths of four babies at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise. In response to the IPA review, the HSE said that it monitors and reviews maternity care at local, regional and national level and that the Maternity Safety Statements are just one of several published methods it uses to provide transparency to the public about maternity services. The HSE acknowledged there remain "gaps in the completeness" of the maternity safety statements and that it has been following up with services to improve the quality of the maternity reports. Towards the end of this year, the HSE said it plans to publish more comprehensive and timely information on maternity care, via the Irish Maternity Indicator System (IMIS) and all of the 19 hospitals will be identified, unlike with previous reports. The Irish Patients' Association said that with more consistent and complete data reporting, and perhaps some future enhancements to metrics, the system can further ensure that mothers and babies nationwide receive the safest care possible "under a watchful, accountable system." Currently, hospitals are asked to report 17 metrics under the MPSS. The IPA said that other data should be added including unexpected transfer of babies to intensive care unit including to other hospitals; lack of oxygen to baby during birth cases and staffing levels/midwife to birth ratio plus patient feedback data. The review has also suggested the collection and publication of other data: postpartum haemorrhage which is a leading case of maternal morbidity, episiotomy rate (surgical cut to assist delivery), vaginal birth after previous Caesarean section which indicates women being given the opportunity for a normal birth after a prior C-section. The HSE said that the Maternity Patient Safety Statement (MSS) is only one of a number of data sets used in maternity care, and that the Irish Maternity Indicator System dataset is used more routinely from a clinical and corporate governance perspective. In its reply to the IPA report, the HSE said the Dublin maternity hospitals not including year to date data figures in their MPSS returns, relates to the fact that they produce very detailed annual reports. The HSE said the Dublin maternity hospitals cross validate all their data before the annual report is published and the validation could contradict the data in the MPSS, if changes have been made subsequent to MPSS publication. The HSE said that there are some missing fields in the MSS reports as well as inconsistent use of zero values. "Obviously the MSS should have been developed with mandatory fields, and only numeric values accepted. We will follow up with the maternity networks to focus on the accuracy of their data," the letter reply of April 22 last to the IPA from Killian McGrane, Director National Women and Infants Health Programme states. The HSE said that during this year, the HSE will be making further changes to maternity data and it hopes to have enhanced maternity metrics in the public domain on a quarterly basis. The HSE also said that the Irish Maternity Indicator System National Reports contain comprehensive data. Currently that IMIS data is anonymised so that individual hospitals are not identified, however the HSE indicated this is due to change during this year.
New Straits Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysia Pahang Sports School claim maiden MCKK Premier Sevens title
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Pahang Sports School (MPSS) clinched their maiden Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) Premier Sevens title after downing defending champions Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (TMISS) in the final today (July 6). MPSS made it count when it mattered, clinching a hard-fought 17-12 win over TMISS at the MCKK field in Kuala Kangsar. MPSS' Ammar Zidan Mohd Zaid also claimed the Zaharuddin Alias Best Player award. The final was essentially a clash between Malaysia's two premier rugby sports schools. TMISS, who have dominated age-group rugby tournaments in Malaysia over the past two decades, have produced numerous players for the national sevens and 15s squads over the years. The third-place decider saw SMK Tun Hussein Onn edging SMK King Edward VII 10-7. Meanwhile, hosts MCKK gave the home crowd something to cheer about after downing Japan's Shizuoka Seiko Academy 14-7 in the plate final. The bowl final saw Kolej Vokasional Arau beating SMK Hosba 24-21 in what was a finely balanced encounter. MRSM Balik Pulau claimed the shield after beating Royal Military College 19-0.
The Star
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Buying local to stretch the ringgit
Consumers more cautious with their spending PETALING JAYA: As Malaysians witness the implementation of the expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) from yesterday, consumers are switching to buying more local products rather than imported goods and cutting back on luxuries like dining out. Nor'ain Othman, 66, has adopted a more cautious approach to her family's spending habits. 'We are also keeping a closer eye on monthly expenses and may cut back on non-essential spending like eating out or online shopping,' she said. The Shah Alam resident said that with the expansion of SST, she had a stronger preference for purchasing local products, particularly fresh produce. 'We are definitely more inclined to support local products, especially fresh produce and groceries. Local goods are usually more affordable and fresher anyway,' she said. She also urged the government, through the relevant ministries, to monitor prices and take action if businesses took advantage of the SST expansion. Ravi Chandhiran Rajagopal, 62, agreed for stricter enforcement to ensure price control among the businesses. He added that he would also reduce reliance on imported products amid the new expanded SST regime. In Perak, Zunaidi Zubir has made early preparations by stocking up needful items before the expanded SST kicked in yesterday. 'I expect prices, especially for imported goods, to rise. Purchasing locally made goods can help me cut down on expenses with the newly imposed SST,' he said when met. Meanwhile, auxiliary policeman M. Moganadass, 48, said he did not make any preparations but would also choose local products to manage his budget. 'I don't see much difference in switching to local products, but this tax hike will definitely burden the lower-income group. 'If taxes and prices go up, salaries should go up too. It's going to be difficult for people to cope if their income stays the same,' he said. CLICK TO ENLARGE In Negri Sembilan, lawyer Andrew Raju said the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry would have to constantly monitor the prices of essential goods to ensure there were no increases as these were not affected by the expanded SST. Andrew, who is also Malaysian Public Service Society (MPSS) president, said this was because there was a possibility that businesses might increase the prices of these goods to offset the increase in prices of non-essential items and other costs. 'The authorities have given assurances to the public that there will be no SST imposed on basic essentials such as chicken, fish, vegetables and rice, and many more items but this has to be followed up with full scale enforcement. 'I know many families from low income households who cheered when the minimum wage was increased from RM1,500 to RM1,700 not too long ago but if prices of essential items were not effectively monitored, the increase would be meaningless,' he said. Andrew added that to ensure the people really benefited, stern punishment must be meted out to businesses that also increased prices of toiletries like sanitary pads and soaps which were now SST-exempt. A small time contractor who only wished to be known as Lee said although he would not be directly affected by the expanded SST, an impending increase in prices of raw materials would surely make it costlier for him to do business. 'From what I understand, I won't be affected by the SST as I carry out minor renovations of residential properties but talk in the industry is that we can expect an increase in the prices of raw materials. 'I am only a small-time contractor with six workers and I hope the prices of raw materials will not increase,' he said. In Johor, personal assistant R. Chitra, 46, said the SST would change how she managed her income and spending as she would have to cut back on buying imported goods, including food. 'I do not mind local rice since I already buy it sometimes. But I do hope local products can be of better quality so it is easier for consumers to make the switch. 'Because at the end of the day, I will go with products and services which offer the best quality,' she said. While she believes that the SST is part of the government's plan to increase national revenue, she hopes that it will not burden the public too much. Chitra also suggested the government take advantage of the Central Database Hub (PADU) to provide targeted support to low-income groups, especially the B40 community. Contractor Zippo A. Aziz, 51, who prefers buying imported shoes for the quality, said he might have to stick to more affordable alternatives such as thrift shops after this. 'I love imported shoes and used to buy them often, however now I find thrifted goods to be more pocket-friendly. 'I try to view the new policy in a positive light to encourage us to support local products and avoid wasteful spending. It might also help strengthen the Malaysian ringgit, though many see it as a burden,' he said. Living alone, Zippo said he also preferred to eat at local food stalls rather than dine in high-end restaurants, especially now that SST would be applied on certain products and services. 'The food is way cheaper and just as good, plus you won't get hit with extra charges. 'People go to restaurants and order steak, but not realising that the beef is imported and that is why the prices shoot up,' he said. He added that consumers needed to be smart and responsible in how they spend their money.
Techday NZ
30-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
A managed protection service suite empowers MSPs to scale their businesses effectively
In the world of continually expanding cyber threats, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly a target. Many SMBs depend on managed service providers (MSPs) not just for their security needs, but for all their IT needs across their business. As a result, MSPs are crucial. The catch? Most MSPs are small businesses themselves. As an MSP, it's always important to balance scaling your business with providing the customer service that defines your reputation and keeps your customers loyal to you. But how do you do that in an economical way? A Managed Protection Service Suite, or MPSS, can help you scale your business and provide better security, all while keeping you free to focus on building relationships with your customers. MPSS is a security service that provides for firewall monitoring, management and reporting, performed by a dedicated team. These team send notifications when a firewall in your environment is changed locally or goes offline, and then handle firmware upgrades and patches along with other configuration changes. Furthermore, the team will always notify when updates need to be applied and will apply the updates at a time that's convenient. MPSS also provides for enhanced reporting and analytics as well as monthly health checks. Helping MSPs scale smarter and serve stronger Here are just a few ways MPSS empowers MSPs to drive customer value and grow their businesses, MPSS: Backstops your existing operations If you're actively deploying firewalls for your customers, you may already have staff members who monitor and manage them. But it can be challenging for your team to stay on top of all the alerts and updates from the many firewalls across your customer base. MPSS gives you peace of mind that licensing, offline and update alerts are never missed, and that your customers always have the best firewall configuration with the latest firmware available. Allows your team to focus on customer service The vast majority of MSPs do so much more than security. They deploy new laptops, help issue software licenses, provide troubleshooting and more. Your team has enough to do without analyzing firewall reports and other administrative tasks. MPSS can help you free your team to focus on delivering the personal, dedicated service your customers expect, increasing your customer loyalty. Every proactive touch a customer receives from an MSP helps build the relationship and demonstrates value. As an MSP, you don't want to wait for problems to crop up before talking to your customers. With MPSS, monthly firewall health checks are provided, allowing you to stay a step ahead of potential issues. Even better, you can drive business value for your customers with the productivity reports in MPSS. These reports show the top apps and websites being used across a customer's network, allowing you to flag sites that may be harming network speeds or overall productivity. By blocking these sites at the network level, you can help your customers optimize their productivity. Scale your business more effectively Growing your business means adding more customers and thus more endpoints and firewalls, and that means you need more staff to support them in the normal course. But MPSS lets you take advantage of the MPSS deployed team for the monitoring and management of your firewalls, allowing you to take on more clients and firewalls with fewer in-house engineers. Provides your customers with a warranty Firewalls with MPSS have an embedded $200,000 cyber warranty, backed by Cysurance. In the event of a qualifying cyber incident, this warranty can help your customers cover their cyber insurance deductibles and other necessary business expenses.
The Star
02-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Mothers with special children touched by treat in S'ban hotel
Andrew (right) and Anita (left) celebrating the mothers with special children. SINGLE mother S. Gayithiri was lost for words when she was honoured at a belated Mothers Day celebration for her role in raising her six-year-old twin girls born with special needs. The 46-year-old veterinary assistant and nine other women who raised special needs children were treated to a sumptuous meal and celebrated at a hotel in Seremban, Negri Sembilan. The event was organised by the Malaysian Public Service Society (MPSS). Gayithiri said it was the first time she had celebrated Mothers Day. 'I felt truly humbled. It goes to show that there are people out there who care and appreciate mothers who raise their special needs children despite the hardships and daily challenges,' she said. Gayithiri's twins both have autism. The older twin, Sri Theva Sena, also suffers from hemiplegia, which refers to paralysis that affects one side of the body. Both girls were born premature at 33 weeks. 'I'm happy to have met other mothers with special needs children. 'We are able to exchange notes on so many things,' she said, adding that she also got invaluable information on schools for children with special needs. Aznah Mohd Jani, 61, who attended the event with her 35-year-old daughter Nurul Atiqah Md Fauzi, also thanked MPSS for holding the event. 'Nurul Atiqah, the second of my three children, has Down Syndrome with hearing, vision and heart-related ailments since birth. 'Although the hospital is like a second home as she has many appointments, we are happy to be able to be here to celebrate this very special day,' said Aznah, a former teacher at a school for children with special needs. MPSS chairman Andrew Raju said the event themed 'Mothers' Loving Touch' was to celebrate mothers for their sacrifices in raising their special children. 'Raising a child with special needs can be emotionally challenging, not to mention the other challenges such as managing the financial costs and getting the proper schools or centres for them to learn basic things. 'We are here today not only to celebrate Mothers Day, but also to recognise and appreciate the great contributions of such mothers in raising special children with love,' he said. Andrew said these mothers were not only the primary caregivers but also teachers, nurses, protectors and true friends to their special children. Since parents are always concerned how their special children would cope after their passing, he said the authorities should consider building a special home that could be both a safehouse and development centre for these children. 'The home can be a collaboration between NGOs, therapists, psychologists and the community to create a sustainable ecosystem of support. 'With fundings from the state and collaborations between the local authorities and community organisations, this initiative, I believe, can be realised,' said Andrew, while thanking donors for making the project a success. MPSS women's wing bureau chief Anita Timothy urged the medical authorities to help parents with special needs children by providing them with more frequent follow-up appointments compared to between four and six months currently. 'This is important to ensure their development is not hampered. 'It is also hoped that private medical centres can help such parents by reducing the treatment cost, as insurance companies do not generally cover these children,' she said. She added that teachers should also be given extensive training to cope with the children's emotional dispositions.
