Tuesday 19 April 2011

Kidney Cancer drug, Everolimus not recommended for NHS

A drug used for the treatment of a form of advanced kidney cancer is not being recommended for NHS-wide use, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said.

Issuing its final guidance, Nice said Everolimus - which is marketed as Afinitor and Novartis - "does not provide enough benefit to patients to justify its high cost".
Everolimus is used for the second line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma - a kidney cancer which starts in cells lining the small tubes which help to make urine.
Around 4,000 people are diagnosed with the advanced condition every year and not all these would be eligible for Everolimus, the institute said.
The institute accepted, though, that although research evidence into the effect on survival times was not conclusive, "overall survival gain would be likely to be more than three months".
From Yahoo News.

I wonder if private patients will be allowed to get it. I guess there is a list of drugs that the NHS cannot afford to give all their patients and quarrel between the NHS and some patients desperate for these drug continues... no one can be blamed.

Thursday 14 April 2011

Happy Tamil/Sinhala New year / Happy Vaisakhi

Wishing everyone a very happy Tamil/Sinhala new year. It is also today that the Sikhs are celebrating their new year. :) So wishing you all Sikhs out there a Happy Vaisakhi!!

I wish you all for a relaxed mind, a healthy body, peaceful soul and a joyful spirit. Wish you a happy new year!

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Who can you blame?

I have paid so many penalty notices and this time it is three in one week. A big lump for the council. I can't imagine the number of staff this council has employed to check the parking times everyday, in every street. I wish I could earn like that.
Road tax, MOT, Insurance, Parking permit at the residence...already to many to pay for to when owning a car and adding to that is Parking penalties. There is enough paid already to the car every year/6 months/weekly, so why not have flexible rules for parking? 
This might sound silly, but the pain of finding a parking place when you go to a hospital for an appointment, where you don't know how long they would make you wait, is not deserved. If it is costly to miss an appointment with a dentist and you are fined for that, then calling names late at the appointments should be compensated. If they can fine for turning up to an appointment late, then we should be able to claim the parking cost/penalties caused by them. The appointments are only for 10 mins and the amount of time you would have to waste more than necessary for is hours and hours.
If the road tax should be paid on time, the roads should be potholes-free. During the snow time there are much more potholes and people have to go to the mechanics often because the tyres get damaged and the wheel alignment changes. Do we get paid for this by the government? No. Why we pay a fortunate for the road tax then? Where is the council tax going? What could they do if there's a pothole related accident? The potholes are fixed or not, they have enough resources to employ a huge number of staff to stick the parking penalties!
It will be no surprising if the pedestrians are asked to pay a "road tax" in the future!
I agree we won't have the roads, street lights or traffic signals if we don't pay the tax.But we have the rights to expect quality. If the tax can be raised, why not the wages? The tuition fees are doubled, and what's the difference to be seen in the Universities? I bet there will be none.  
Taxes are wasted on too many trial-schemes that are dropped after a certain period of time. Is there anything that is not being taxed? You open the newspaper and the words that flash at you are credit crunch, tax rise, recession, job cuttings etc.
I just realise that I started writing this post about my "parking penalty" rant and it has come way too far and this will be endless if I continue on. I wish there will be a time when there are tax free zones made in every country ( like Dubai) ......and I know this can only be a wish. And I just move on with a huge sigh.

Monday 4 April 2011

And it is India!

I was hoping for Sri Lanka to win the world cup but also happy that India won at the end. Both teams played very well and it was one of the most interesting matches so far, with being unable to predict until the end. Mahela Jeyawardane did a great job and so did Dhoni. All the Indian fans here celebrated by honking for a long time that night. Lots and lots of honking and screaming. I was asked a lot of times by strangers whether I had watched the match and they started dancing bale bale when I said Yes, I know India won. LOL. I loved the way the Indians cheered their team and how they celebrate the winning. 
Well done India, You did well! :)

New season

 I cannot believe I made it back in here for the second time this year.  My new baby is playing/about to cry sort of state in the background...