Latest news with #cancersurvivor
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Patients worried about the future of Healthscope hospitals around Australia
Vicky Purnell is a cancer survivor, and believes that without the Hobart Private Hospital, the outcome might have been different. In 2016, Ms Purnell, from Devonport in Tasmania's north-west, was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Within four days, she had surgery at the Hobart Private. It is one of Healthscope's 37 private hospitals across Australia, which are under a cloud since the company's owners went into receivership this week. The company has promised it is business as usual for the hospitals, but the uncertainty is causing concern for patients around the country. In Tasmania, surgery for gynaecological cancer is only done at the Royal Hobart and Hobart Private hospitals. Ms Purnell said she had the "full pull-out of everything" in a successful operation. It was only during the surgery it became clear how fast-growing the cancer was. "I very quickly realised I had such swift surgery because I had private health insurance and I was able to go into the Hobart Private, as opposed to waiting for a space at the Royal." Ms Purnell said a longer wait for surgery could have given her a different outcome. She said she was concerned by Healthscope's announcement and the impact it might have if it led to the closure of the Hobart Private and resulted in more surgeries going through the public system. "You don't have to be Einstein to work out that if you're going to take those cases to the Royal [Hobart Hospital] there is going to be a wait. "There's only a finite amount of resources and a finite amount of operating theatre time." Ms Purnell said it was an anxious time for patients linked to Healthscope. "We just don't know what the long-term outcome will be." Hobart-based patient Josie Mackey has used Healthscope hospitals in Tasmania and Victoria multiple times a year for the past decade for chronic health conditions and mental health. The 27-year-old said she was feeling "extremely concerned" about the company's owners' financial woes, especially after it closed its mental health hospital in Hobart in 2023. "All of my specialists work out of Healthscope hospitals, and, as someone with complex chronic health conditions, it gives me a lot of anxiety," Ms Mackey said. "It puts into question future surgeries and procedures and as to where they'll be performed out of. Will these specialists move interstate or elsewhere as they have nowhere to work out of?" Ms Mackey does not believe the public system could meet her complex needs. "My experiences with Healthscope hospitals has been overwhelmingly positive compared to other hospitals, from the nurses, doctors, staff, food services, to getting a fast admission date," she said. Ms Mackey will require ongoing procedures for endometriosis. She said if she were a public patient, she could be waiting for more than a year for surgery, living with pain in the meantime, and unable to access other services. Darwin mum Jess McClusky has private health insurance and is expecting a second child. During her first pregnancy, she said it was comforting to have a private obstetrician caring for her, along with a five-day stay in the private hospital with access to specialists on the ward. But from next week, Healthscope will no longer offer maternity services at the Darwin Private Hospital, leaving no private service. From August, it will also close maternity services in Hobart, leaving Tasmania with only one private operator. Up in the Top End, it's making Ms McClusky question whether it's worth keeping her health insurance. "It's a waste of money … if you're paying for insurance and you can't get anything for it, what's the point in having it? "We're going to continue it until we've had this baby and then we will reconsider our options." Like Josie Mackey, Jess McClusky has concerns about going through the public system. "The public hospital that we've got here in Darwin is overcapacity, often," she said. Australian Medical Association president Dr Danielle McMullen said the balance between private and public care in Australia was essential. "It's what makes our healthcare system unique and is what leads to some of the world-leading outcomes we see in Australia." Dr McMullen said almost 70 per cent of elective or planned surgeries were done in the private sector. "That highlights just how critical our private hospitals are." She said Healthscope's problems would be felt strongly in regional areas, where in some places it is the only private operator. Dr McMullen said change was needed to ensure private hospitals stayed viable. "It's really important that governments come together with insurers and private hospitals and groups like the AMA under a private health system authority to really drive the reforms we need to see." Dr McMullen said many doctors in regional areas worked between the public and private system to offer different services and expand their careers. "We've seen examples across the country that when a private hospital closes, we lose much-needed doctors from the region. "Many of these doctors use their private practices to help support the suitability of their practice in the public hospital as well. It's something Vicki Purnell is worried about too, when it comes to surgeons in Tasmania. "We are down to one gynaecological oncologist at the moment who is performing surgery at the Hobart Private and the Royal [Hobart Hospital]," she said. Jess McClusky is also concerned about losing specialists in Darwin. While she can still use a private obstetrician with her insurance, she's worried the closure of the private maternity ward will mean they'll shut up shop. "We don't know how long the private obstetricians will be here, one is retiring and the other is considering her options," she said.
Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
I was almost burned alive for wearing a hijab. This is what I told my kids
Elshimaa Abdelhafiz is a registered dental hygienist based in Ajax, Ont. One quiet afternoon two months ago, I went to the library, as I often do, carrying my books and my dreams of simply trying to build a better future for my three daughters. Almost everything I do is for them. When I walked in, however, I noticed a woman muttering angrily. I assumed she was struggling. I chose to avoid confrontation and sat quietly with my back to her. But without warning, she launched an unprovoked attack, yanking my hijab, pouring liquid on my head, and screaming, 'I will set you on fire!' as she flicked a lighter again and again. I froze in horror, unable to move. In my mind, both then and since, I kept asking, Why? What did I do? My only 'offence' was being a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. I never even saw her approach, and that has haunted me the most. As a visibly Muslim woman, I've always known there was a risk that I could be targeted. But I never imagined someone would try to burn me alive in broad daylight, in a public space, in front of strangers. I felt humiliated, vulnerable and shaken to my core. What's more, I recently learned that my assailant had been charged last October for allegedly swinging a machete-style knife in a plaza in Ajax, Ont. Why was she allowed back on the streets? As a cancer survivor, a mother and a woman who wears her faith outwardly every day, I've faced many battles. But nothing breaks my heart more than thinking my daughters might grow up feeling unsafe or unwelcome because of who they are. And I think of how close I came to a different ending. If that lighter had worked, my daughters could have grown up looking at a scarred face, or worse, traumatized not only by what happened, but by the reminder of it every single day. That thought still haunts me. And yet, amid all that fear, it was the courage and kindness of strangers that pulled me back toward hope – a hope that we should all try to hold amid a broader wave of fear. This terrifying incident occurred during a time when tensions between Canada and the United States were rising. U.S. President Donald Trump had launched a trade war with Canada, intended to provoke division and instability. These days, it has become too easy to hate. But when I think back to that day at the library, I don't only remember the attack – I also remember the people. I remember the strangers who didn't look like me or share my faith, but who were ready to step in and help. I remember the compassion of the library staff, the bravery of the security guards, and the kindness of the police, all of which reminded me that this country is still my home, and that hate, no matter how violent, will never define us. I am emboldened by the fact that in my darkest hour, I saw light: Canadians standing taller, shoulder to shoulder, more committed than ever to our shared values. It is just one part of a beautiful wave of social cohesion that I've seen rippling across this country. So that's the message I wanted to impart to my children after the attack. When I got home that day, shaken but safe, I sat with my daughters to explain what had happened. They were frightened and confused. Why would someone want to hurt their mama just for wearing something on her head? I told them about the strangers who stood by me – the people who didn't hesitate to do the right thing. I told them that while cruelty exists, compassion is stronger. I reminded them that we don't wear hijab to hide; we wear it to honour who we are. I reminded them that our dignity is not something anyone can take from us. And I showed them that while hate may shout loudly, kindness and solidarity are always louder. I dream of a country where my daughters can walk freely, their heads held high, their faith unshaken. I want them to grow up believing that this is their home, and not just in name. I want my daughters to be able to navigate the world with confidence. I want them to feel a strong sense of belonging – not just as residents, but as an important part of our country, a land where our differences are celebrated and where each unique background helps make our community stronger. I dream of a future where kindness and unity guide us all. My hope for that future is rooted in the Canada I've come to know - and in my daughters.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Lorraine Kelly reveals life-changing impact of having her ovaries removed as she returns to ITV after weeks off screen with huge health update
Lorraine Kelly shared a huge health update as she finally returned to ITV on Monday morning after weeks off screen - and revealed a life-changing impact after having her ovaries removed. The 65-year-old revealed that she underwent preventative keyhole surgery to remove her fallopian tubes and ovaries earlier this month, and has been off our screens recovering. Today (Monday 19 May), Lorraine returned to her hosting role on ITV's Lorraine, but before presenting the programme, she appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain to open up about how she's feeling. Lorraine, who was in hospital for one night and had two weeks of recovery, explained that she had a burst cyst on a flight coming back from India. She had a scan and her doctor noticed something on her other cyst, so they removed it to be safe. GMB presenter Susanna pointed out that it has reduced the risk of cancer, to which Lorraine said: It's gone! I have to take tiny amounts of testosterone.' Lorraine Kelly shares huge health update as she finally returns to ITV after weeks off screen - and reveals life-changing impact of having her ovaries removed She added that it was a 'teeny tiny' amount and she has to do it to 'balance it out'.
