The Ministry of Health states that in Panama 2 thousand 500 people die each year caused by diseases related to the cigarette.

After a day of which it entered to govern Law 13 of the 24 of January of 2008, that adopts measurements to control of the tobacco and its harmful effects on a person’s health, the Ministry of Health (MINSA), through its free lines: 512-9444 and 800-5500, received near 50 calls between the 6:00 a.m. and the 1:00 p.m., of yesterday Friday.

The majority of them, according to Mayanín Rodriguez, director of Promotion of Health of MINSA, came from citizens interested in knowing in what sites you could smoke and in which not. Others, said, were people who wanted to denounce those who saw smoking in public sites.

(GURU Clubb, Calle Uruguay – Panama City)

WHERE CAN I SMOKE AND WHERE NOT?

The law lets few spaces one to be able to ignite a cigarette or tobacco. “People will only be able to do it in the open sites where there is no other person”, it assures Rodriguez.

Not even it will you be able to smoke neither in the parks nor in the corridors of your building.

The public and private offices, the transportation in general, the terrestrial, marine terminals and areas, public places where there are people, sport areas, common areas of the buildings public and private, the closed work atmospheres, and public and private education and health facilities, are in the list of prohibited places to smoke.

“You can smoke in your house, as long as you do not have a maid”, it said Carlos Vergara, one of the four people who answers the hot lines of the MINSA, which work 24 hours.

(Royal Casino – Marriott Hotel, Panama City)

FINES

The sanctions will prevail considering the risk generated for the health, the economic capacity of that commits the misconduct and the social repercussion of the infraction, among others aspects. The sanctions also imply the closing of establishments.

The fines range between 10 dollars and 100 thousand dollars.

If you see a person smoking in the street, you can denounce it with a call to the hot lines, or warn the competent authorities, a policeman, for example. The policeman must take the smoker to the corregiduría (community authority), where they will write a report which is sent to MINSA, because this is the authority which has to charge the fine.

As of today, an equipment of 25 inspectors, of the 100 MINSA has, will make a nocturnal route to verify how informed are the owners of bars, casinos and restaurants on the law. “The idea is to see how norm has been welcomed”, assured Rodriguez.

Antonio Alfaro, of the National Association of Games of Luck, says that they are waiting for the regulation of the law to determine his effects.

(Veneto Hotel and Casino – Via Veneto, Panama City)

By Ursula Kiener Ford

One of the biggest concerns for foreigners relocating to Panama is health care. Every day I get at least a couple of emails with questions about health insurance from people living in Panama or planning on moving to Panama. These are the answers to some of the questions people put to me.

Being a retiree does not give you discounts on insurance premiums. It does however give you discounts on medical consultations (15%) which cost between $30-55 and on medicines (10-17% depending on the pharmacy).

Foreigners have to pay in public hospitals since they can’t apply for social security unless they have worked in Panama for a significant period since quotas have to be fulfilled in order to be eligible.

To be admitted to a hospital in Panama you need to present proof of insurance or a credit card. If you don’t, hospitals are not required by law to give you medical care and they will send you to one of the public hospitals (which have difficulty in handling the amount of patients they receive) even if it is an emergency and your life is in danger. This makes health insurance a necessity.

Every company has a maximum age of admittance to a policy plan –usually around 62-64 years. After this you can still get insured but you have fewer options. The maximum age a company offers for admittance is 74.

Most companies require examinations for admittance which depend on your age.

To give you a quote a broker needs to know the age of the person to be insured and the age of any dependants, whether you are looking for local or local/international coverage and if you have any existing health problems.

For more information on health insurance in Panama please visit:
www.healthinsuranceinpanama.com

CANCER CELLS FEED ON

Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg’s amino or sea salt.

Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

You are the one who manages your diabetes. Yes, others may assist you in this process but the ultimate responsibility is yours.Each day, you make lots of decisions that your health care team and others who support you aren’t there to help with. It’s all up to you. The good news is that you can manage your diabetes.The first step is to learn about diabetes. I highly recommend seeking out a certified diabetes educator. As diabetes educators, we call our teaching about diabetes self-management training. Our goal is ultimately to have you manage your diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends covering these content areas during your education:

• Diabetes disease process
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Monitoring your glucose levels
• Medications
• Prevention, detection, and treatment of acute complications
• Prevention, detection, and treatment of chronic complications
• Goal setting and problem solving
• Psychological adjustment
• Preconception care and pregnancy

If you are unsure about any of these areas, see a diabetes educator.

Once you understand these topics and have developed a game plan, support is the second step. Social support is so important to help you on your journey. It can come from family, friends, a local support group, or an online support forum. Whatever your choice, support is necessary to help you succeed in managing your diabetes.

And don’t forget to set goals and to reward yourself when you achieve them. Managing diabetes is a lifelong process, not a quick change. Lifestyle changes don’t happen overnight.

Your diabetes management plan should consist of educating yourself about all aspects of diabetes, establishing your support system, and setting goals and rewards. Know your plan and self-manage your diabetes.

Posted by Christine McKinney, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.
Courtesy of Yahoo!

There is currently one company that accepts patients with diabetes as a pre-existing condition, for more information please contact us at forlacol@gmail.com or by phone to +507-211-1466

I often call a client’s last visit with me a “graduation.” After the client and I have covered all the information they need to know to self-manage their diabetes and I really feel like they get it and are going to do a great job, that’s when I meet with the client one more time — for graduation.The following information is what I share with my clients during this final meeting. I talk to them about how they can prevent the complications from diabetes, going through with them a checklist of recommendations from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). There is more to managing diabetes than just controlling your glucose levels. Think of these recommendations as the ABCs.

• A1C. This is a blood test that represents an average of your glucose levels over the past 2 to 3 months. The goal is to have an A1C less than 7 percent. This test should be done by your doctor at least twice per year. If you are not reaching your goal, you may need to get your A1C measured 4 times per year.
• Blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk for a heart attack and stroke, and for kidney and eye disease. Your blood pressure should be measured at every doctor visit, and your goal should be a reading of 130/80 mmHg or lower.
• Cholesterol. Excessive fat circulating in the blood can build up in the arteries as plaque and cause a heart attack or a stroke. Make sure you have a lipid panel done annually. Targets are:

o total cholesterol: less than 200 mg/dL
o LDL (bad) cholesterol: less than 70 mg/dL
o HDL (good) cholesterol: more than 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women
o Triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dL

• Dental care. Diabetes can affect the mouth and increase your risk of gum disease. While the ADA doesn’t offer specific guidelines for this, you should generally see your dentist every 6 months.
• Eye exam. You should have a dilated eye exam every year.
• Foot exam. At each appointment with your doctor, have your feet checked. At least once each year, you should have a thorough foot exam.
• Get your microalbumin tested. This urine test, which looks for protein in the urine, is a more sensitive detector of kidney problems than a blood test. You should get the microalbumin test at least once per year, with a goal of less than 30 micrograms per milligram of creatinine.

If you don’t know when you last had these tests done, or if you are not sure of the results, ask your doctor. Remember: You are the one who manages your diabetes!

Posted by Christine McKinney, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.
Courtesy of Yahoo!

There is currently one company that accepts patients with diabetes as a pre-existing condition, for more information please contact us at forlacol@gmail.com or by phone to +507-211-1466