MetNet 2009 Location
U.S. Capitol to host the 2009 International Young Professional Metropolitan Networking Event.

Malaysia today holds it breathe waiting for the announcement of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's stand in the coming UMNO's Congress to be held in March 2009. He has arrived at the Supreme Council meeting of the Barisan Nasional at 3.36pm.

According to the Malaysiakini report, Pak Lah is expected to announce his 'stepping down' date after the BN Supreme Council meeting.

Among the coffeshop talk are also the court case of blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's sedition charge and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy charge. With all these something somehow was not right.

Yes, our Malaysia economy. While the whole world is facing a financial crisis with bailout by the U.S. Government and even Japan had to prep up their economy, our Malaysia economy seems to be smooth sailing. Are we the only country to be above the water level while the rest seems to be using snorkelling gear to ride out their economy conditions?

I am not an economist but my friend who is a young entrepreneur Donald Stephens had this to say;
"The past weeks have shown the meltdown in major world economy. First with the U.S. with the bailout of AIG and the apporval of US$700 Billion to bailout the U.S. economy. Then Europe economy started struggling with Banks bailout in major economies superpower such as Germany and United Kingdom."

The past president of Junior Chamber International Malaysia Donald also added, "This has affected the Asia Pacific stock markets with confidence low in trading and cost leveraging. We are talking about Japan, China, Korea are leading in the economy meltdown."

Now, Donald has put it nicely. What is scary for a economically blur person like me, is the eerie silence by the Malaysian press and our national leaders! Instead of the distraction of the parties elections of UMNO and MCA, ISA and others, are Malaysia ready for the DEPRESSION if World Economy get worse?

My dear PM to be designated cum DPM cum Finance Minister, what is the plan of action? Take action only when the Economy Tsunami hits? Temporary sweep the current nation's economy problems under the expensive carpet?

Sigh........Tun Mahathir doesn't look so bad after all. I am beginning to miss him because during his time, my house, car, electricity, water, household and home living were all affordable then............

After 2 years of job hunting, numerous pending applications, countless clinical and psychological exams from different hospitals, I got hired! I am part of the pioneer batch of new nurses for the new St. Luke's Medical Center Global City and I am proud to be a part of it. It's been a tough road for me- I passed the June 2006 Nurses Board Exams and then the leakage scandal got out, so i took the boards again in FULL last June 2007, took my NCLEX last November 2007, then finally becoming a staff nurse at the best hospital in the Philippines.

I realized that plans and goals don't really go the way I planned it. Since I was 5, I desperately wanted to become a doctor. My dad even bought me a toy stethoscope, BP apparatus, cute toy syringe, and a doctor's bag to go with it. I never asked for Barbie dolls and doll houses. I just hope I can fulfill my promise of becoming the best holistic nurse that I can be. I had never dreamed of working anywhere else, that's why I didn't pursue a career in the call center industry. It's just not my cup of coffee.

Now I'm one step closer to that dream. Hopefully, I can become my own Dr. Stevens or Dr. Cameron.

Just another wishful thinking.

I received an email from Junior Chamber International on JCI Japan Past President Elected Japan's Next Prime Minister announcing Taro Aso, 1978 JCI Japan President and Japan’s former foreign minister, was chosen as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Monday and elected Japan's next prime minister on Wednesday, September 24, 2008. He will take over the reins from Yasuo Fukuda.

Aso won 351 of 525 valid votes cast by LDP members of parliament and representatives of local party branches. Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano was a distant second with 66 votes, and former defense minister Yuriko Koike placed third with only 46 votes.

Like my earlier post A NEW JAPAN SEPT 22? MALAYSIA NEXT? Mr. Taro Aso is a fine gentleman. He is a straight forward talking guy. He will tell you things as it is and not what you want to hear.

Now we know that Japan has a new Prime Minister, in Malaysia it is still not clear. While many had said in the western world democracy, Barisan Nasional led by PM Pak Lah still did well in the last GE12, the behaviour of BN seems to be a government under siege. With the mistakes of not heeding the sentiment of the people.

BN actually sowed the seed of discontentment when they increased the price of fuel in the country. That had actually caused the rise in prices of everything with the earning income of the people remaining the same. It is not being help eveytime the people see a chaffeured driven government vehicles while they had to save hard on their fuel consumption.

The rest of the mistakes that BN had done have already been well mentioned in the media and blogosphere. That as resulted in Pakatan Rakyat Alliance led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becoming another better option. Running on the theme of 'today form government, tomorrow fuel price reduce' and abolishment of ISA (the draconian Internal Security Act of detention without trail) plus a few other priorities, DSAI has raise the hope of everyone.

Although DSAI has not done his credibility much favour with his everchanging date of a Pakatan government taking over from BN, he has manage to light up the imagination of the people. In short, they wants change and it doesn't matter when.

Thus BN under UMNO's command needs to come out with better strategies and policies to win back the heart of the people. As it looks now, no matter how hard the other components in BN try to be outspoken or dynamic, it will still fall down to UMNO.

Thus, the excitement of UMNO politics especially the recent special supreme council meeting generated a lot of interests. Some has asked why does UMNO deserve so much attention in the local media. Well, beside owning a few newspapers and television stations, they are the government right?

The sad thing about the special meeting was that the main agenda was the party's congress and the transfer of power from PM to DPM. There was no discussion of how you and me can benefit more from the policies and programs of the government. This has lead me to ponder what is happening?

I agree with Ku Li slams postponement as ‘childish game’ probably summed it all up.

Hopefully like my good friend Audie Chua, a past JCI Malaysia national executive vice president has said, maybe a snap poll is coming soon. So who will you vote for?

In Malaysiakini report http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/90097 , by Athi Veeranggan, it seems that Pakatan Rakyat’s relentless pursuit to take control of the central government from Barisan Nasional could well take the opposition coalition to Istana Negara.

While this latest news will continue to create some anxiety among BN leaders and supporters alike, anything goes in the story of Malaysia Boleh Land (to borrow a term from my good friend Audie Chua http://audie61.wordpress.com). Thansk Audie for your encouragment to me to start my own blog.

As Malaysia head for a show down ultimatum by DSAI on Pak Lah on Sept 23 in Parliament (which is unlikely to happen), Japan's ruling party the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will be choosing a new leader.

For me, I would place my support (not that I can vote anyway) on the 1978 JCI Japan National President and current LDP Secretary General, Mr. Taro Aso.

I had the pleasure of meeting the fine gentleman in May 2006. That was when as the national president of JCI Malaysia, I was leading the JCI Malaysia delegation to the JCI Asia Pacific Conference in Takatmasu, Japan.

He is a straight forward no hold bar leader. He share with me the importance of unity and discipline.
With the election due two days after his birthday, the polls in Japan shows that he will get his belated birthday present.

Below is extract from the Junior Chamber International web http://www.jci.cc on ;

Who is Taro Aso?

The scion of an illustrious family, Taro Aso was born September 20, 1940, in Iizuka, Fukuoka. Aso's great-great grandfather, Okubo Toshimichi, a samurai, was one of the five powerful nobles who staged the 1868 uprising that overthrew the centuries-old shogunate tradition and began Japan's modernization.

Aso's grandfather, Yoshida Shigeru, was prime minister five times between 1946 and 1954, and crafted Japan's foreign and domestic policy for much of the Cold War era. Suzuki Zenko, prime minister 1980-82, was his father-in law. Aso's father, Takakichi Aso, was a successful entrepreneur.

Taro Aso graduated from the Faculty of Politics and Economics at Gakushuin University. He then studied at Stanford University and later at the University of London. He spent two years working for a diamond mining company in Sierra Leone, gaining valuable experience and understanding of developing nations.

Aso joined his father's company in 1966, and served as president of the Aso Mining Company from 1973 to 1979. He was National President of JCI Japan in 1978.

Taro Aso’s Political career

Aso was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in October 1979, and has since been re-elected eight times. In 1988, he became Parliamentary Vice Minister for Education.

He joined the Cabinet of Junichiro Koizumi in 2003 as Minister of Internal Affairs, Posts and Communications. On October 31, 2005, he became Minister for Foreign Affairs. Aso was one of the final candidates to replace Koizumi as prime minister in 2006, but lost the internal party election to Shinzo Abe by a wide margin.

On September 14, 2007, shortly after Abe announced his resignation, Aso announced his candidacy to replace Abe as Prime Minister. Aso was initially considered to be a leading candidate for the position but was defeated by Yasuo Fukuda on September 23, 2007. Fukuda defeated Aso, receiving 330 votes against 197 votes for Asō.

Later, on August 1, 2008, Fukuda appointed Aso as Secretary-General of the LDP.

The respect senior man of Japan politics are so popular that masks and other souvenirs of him has been sold briskly contributing to the income of the Japanese.

In Malaysia, we have yet to see similar masks or souvenirs of DSAI or Pak Lah being sold by entrepreneurs. Any interested parties?

So come Sept 22, 2008 my mentor will win and come Sept 23, 2008 would Malaysia new hope win also?
As a Malaysian who appreciate the "Look East" policy, I hope that after Japan, Malaysia will follow.

My assistant trainer for this JCI Presenter course will be Marvin Pollack. I recently trained together with him for the participants of the United Business Idols competition, and I think it has been a nice experience.

I am very much looking forward to this training, and as usual I will be inviting the participants to post their feedback about the training.
Be on the lookout for more updates.

For example, heart bypass surgery in the United States may cost an individual over $130,000. The same procedure costs under $7,000 in India or $35,000 in Korea. Likewise, a hysterectomy in the United States may cost between $20,000 and $30,000, while the same procedure in Costa Rica costs less than $5,000.

In many cases, foreign medical destinations are not only luxurious, but include the latest state-of-the-art technology and equipment available in various fields of practice. It is common for medical care contracted through a medical tourism provider to also include 24-hour observation and care as well as private nursing and private room facilities.

Not to mention the fact that individuals who travel abroad for medical care are also able to enjoy a bit of vacation time in unique or exotic locations such as Thailand, Singapore, India, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and more.

Changing Opinions on Quality Health Care
The old saying, "If you can't beat them, join them", seems to be holding true for many major medical and health insurance providers in the United States. Because finances are at the bottom of individual decisions to travel abroad for medical care, American health care providers are finally paying attention.

For example, CIGNA, a large carrier in the United States, is considering offering reimbursement for hip and knee surgeries in foreign destinations. Other insurance companies and their subsidiaries, such as Companion Global Healthcare Inc., of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina, is beginning to offer international care as an option available in their basic health insurance plans. Indeed, many healthcare service providers are expecting and anticipating that medical tourism will be standard in the healthcare field by 2015.

Read complete article at PlacidWay.com

1. Sebuah rumah sakit internasional biasanya memajang sertifikat akreditasi lembaga internasional di lobinya. Hingga kini, salah satu akreditasi yang kredibilitasnya diakui dunia internasional berasal dari Joint Commission International, Amerika Serikat.

2. Dari lobi, pasien dan pengunjung bisa dengan mudah menemukan ruangan yang dituju, karena ada tanda penunjuk dalam dua bahasa, Indonesia dan Inggris. Lokasi yang berisiko juga diberi label, misalnya, di ruang radiologi ada tanda bahaya bagi ibu hamil.

3. Ada penunjuk arah yang jelas letak pintu dan tangga darurat serta jalur evakuasi jika terjadi kondisi darurat.

4. Ruangan rumah sakit yang bisa ditempati banyak orang, seperti ruang pertemuan, memiliki lebih dari satu pintu darurat.

5. Alat pencegahan kebakaran ada di setiap sudut, terutama di kamar pasien. Lalu, harus ada detektor asap, sprinkler, alarm kebakaran, dan tabung pemadam api yang disertai penjelasan cara penggunaannya.

6. Kebersihan sangat terjaga, dari lobi hingga ruang perawatan. Disiplin tinggi penjagaan kebersihan dan sanitasi juga dijalankan demi mencegah infeksi kuman. Misalnya, dalam membersihkan kamar, kain pel dari satu kamar pasien tak digunakan kembali untuk mengepel kamar lain.

7. Ada panduan pengunjung untuk menghindari infeksi kuman dari rumah sakit. Misalnya, ada botol cairan pembersih tangan mengandung alkohol yang didekatnya ada panduan cara penggunaannya. Lalu, di toilet juga ditempel panduan proses cuci tangan yang bisa mencegah terjadinya penularan kuman.

8. Rumah sakit akan mengecek secara rutin peralatan medisnya termasuk sumber energi listriknya. Jika listrik mati, maka tenaga listrik cadangan akan menyala kurang dari satu menit.

9. Pintu instalasi gawat darurat terpisah dengan pintu pelayanan umum.

Selain itu, rumah sakit internasional juga bisa dirasakan dari pelayanan para tenaga medisnya. Standar Joint Commission, misalnya, mengharuskan ada keterbukaan informasi kepada pasien sebagai berikut:

1. Dokter akan menjelaskan penyakit dan obat yang diterima pasien tanpa diminta. Lalu, pasien berhak bertanya jika belum mengerti dan harus mendapat penjelasan hingga benar-benar paham.

2. Dokter menjelaskan tindakan medis yang akan dilakukannya dan langkah alternatif yang bisa ditempuhnya. Dokter juga akan menjelaskan risiko dari semua perawatan itu, termasuk jika pasien menolak perawatan dan pengobatan yang ditawarkan.

3. Tenaga medis akan menjelaskan secara terbuka perkiraan lama pasien dirawat di rumah sakit. Diagnosa penyakit pasien juga selesai dalam 24 jam dan langsung dijelaskan kepada pasien.

4. Sebelum dirawat ada screening kondisi pasien untuk mencegah ada kesalahan perawatan dan pengobatan yang bisa membahayakan pasien.

5. Rumah sakit akan menjaga kerahasiaan dan privasi pasien. Hanya inisial nama pasien yang ditulis. Dan data pasien pun berbentuk kode, yang hanya mengerti oleh staf medis dan hanya dijelaskan kepada pasien atau keluarganya. Jadi kondisi pasien dirahasiakan sepenuhnya dari orang lain termasuk pembesuk.

6. Rekam medis sangat lengkap dan mendetail. Semua tindakan serta pemberian obat dicatat, sehingga bisa diawasi dan dipastikan hanya obat serta tindakan yang perlu saja diberikan kepada pasien.

Sekedar informasi, ciri-ciri ini hanyalah sebagian kecil dari 1033 kriteria yang disusun olh Joint Commission International. Jadi kalau Anda datang ke rumah sakit internasional dan diminta membayar tarif internasional, tuntutlah pelayanan yang jauh lebih baik dari apa yang sudah disebut di sini.

[8zonewsroom]

Throughout the United States and the world, undergoing the accreditation process is voluntary and provides a means of gauging the commitment of any healthcare facility or a provider to ensure a safe environment as well as reduce risks to both patients and staff members. The most commonly used evaluation and management method around the world, JCI credentials are an important measure of the credibility and quality of a multitude of medical facilities.

What is JCI's Function and Mission?
The Joint Commission International supports quality care among healthcare organizations around the globe and works with the World Health Organization, and with national accreditation programs and agencies, in a multitude of countries.  JCI standards as well as evaluation methods are created by health professionals in a multitude of health sectors, and can be tested in all world regions. The standards of the Joint Commission International apply to health care organizations and systems and are designed to support and sustain improvement in patient care and safety.

The JCI governing body includes experts from around the world and bases its decision on an international committee of health care experts as well as standard revisions offered by advisory councils from different regions.

The goals of the Joint Commission International are to reduce risks, adverse effects, and consistently improve healthcare methods and procedures. The JCI works with hospitals, health providers, medical consultants, government agencies, and patients to provide standards, rules, and processes for medical facilities.

Read complete article at PlacidWay.com

Plus que des mots, quelques photos qui illustrent cet instant (avec en toile de fond quelques personnes ou partenaires que vous connaissez et qui ont donné de leur temps à cette manifestation, telle que la Jeune Chambre Economique Orléans. Pour eux : merci).

Tout le public arborait avec fierté casquettes, pins, tee-shirts, ballons de baudruche, écussons...... "Rêves de Gosse"

Même les animaux étaient de sortie :

La foule au rendez-vous :

Et puis la viste d'un transal : ouah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! et mon fils aux commandes !

Et puis il a fallu repartir et laisser de côté la tour de contrôle :

Professor Samuel had his first experience of breathlessness during his son’s wedding five years ago and had difficulty climbing a short flight of stairs. Thereafter, he experienced similar attacks and was prescribed medication to cope with the discomfort.

During his church’s Easter retreat this year, Professor Samuel again experienced breathlessness. He was unconscious for two hours and was eventually sent to a local hospital for treatment.

Professor Samuel was then referred to a specialist in the capital city and prescribed drugs which he later learnt was similar to previous medications he had taken. They controlled and suppressed symptoms, but would not cure his condition.

On further probing by Dr. Polycarp Erivwo, Professor Samuel’s son, the specialist revealed that Professor Samuel would require an operation.

Within ten days of being discharged from hospital, Professor Samuel had another attack.

Dr. Polycarp saw the urgency in the situation and made queries on treatment options with friends in Europe and South Africa.

Upon suggestion by his brother in Malaysia that their father sought treatment in Singapore, Dr. Polycarp contacted the National Heart Centre. The Global Patient Services Team at the National Heart Centre tended to his queries and allayed any doubts that he had.

Professor Samuel was no stranger to Singapore as he had visited the city on a few occasions on gospel missions. Coupled with positive feedback from friends, Dr. Polycarp decided to send his father to Singapore for treatment.

Dr. Polycarp elaborated, “The healthcare facilities in Singapore are excellent and cost of surgery is affordable. The high number of surgeries that the National Heart Centre in Singapore had performed was our deciding factor. It is also the only hospital in Singapore approved for heart transplants.”

The National Heart Centre's Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery crossed the 15,000 mark in its number of cardiac surgeries in 2002. It is the only approved centre in Singapore for heart and lung transplants.

Click here  to read complete article...