18-Feb-16 Hundreds of graduate doctors, many pharmacy and dentistry degree holders in Malaysia are facing long delays getting training placements in public hospitals, a prerequisite for registration in their professions. Some graduates have been waiting for up to six months and have expressed fears of being jobless despite holding a degree in their field. [image: The Malaysian Insider]

18-Feb-16 To reduce cost and time for Indian companies to obtain globally accepted certification, the Quality Council of India is likely to introduce a voluntary certification scheme, "Indian Certification for Medical Devices" in one month's time. The scheme intends to enable the Indian medical device industry to demonstrate adherence to the best international standards and enhance credibility in the world market. [image: NABCB]

18-Feb-16 Patients from all over the world flock to India for treatment, drawn by the value for money. Cardiac surgery costs USD6,000 compared to USD20,000 in Russia, while a liver transplant that would cost USD200,000 in the US can be had for USD14,000. India receives about 230,000 medical tourists a year. Apollo Hospitals derives 15% of its revenue from medical tourists. [image: Ninad Sheth]

18-Feb-16 According to some experts, Chinese orthopaedics is not as specialized as in Western countries. Rehabilitation is also a concern, with many saying that the local physical therapy industry lacks modern methods. There is also a lack of public awareness of prevention. "People wear jeans or non-sports shoes in marathons," said Dr Derk Rietveld of Parkway Health in Shanghai. [image: Global Times]

18-Feb-16 If current trends continue, half the world’s population (4.8 bn people) will be short-sighted in just over three decades, with one-fifth of those expected to have a significantly increased risk of blindness. 96% of teenagers in Korea are short-sighted and in Singapore, China and Japan the rate is around 80-90%. [image: Nomad_Soul / Shutterstock.com]