Health Bulletin

End of life planning does not make cancer patients hopeless

For a small group of advanced cancer patients, using an online tool for learning about end-of-life medical decisions and developing an advance directive document did not lead to psychological distress, according to a new study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Doctors who initiate these conversations can do a lot to decrease patient stress and anxiety, but many physicians are hesitant and are also pressed for time.

Sierra Leone's president calls for week of fasting, prayer over Ebola

Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma asked the country to begin a week of fasting and prayers on Thursday to end the Ebola virus that has killed more than 2,700 of his countrymen, reports Reuters.
The worst outbreak on record of the virus is still spreading in West Africa, especially in Sierra Leone, and the number of known cases globally has exceeded 20,000, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday.