Ian C. Ellul

If my memory is not turning me down, I remember that I started my editorial for 2010 with John the Savage’s speech in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World which in turn was quoted as verbatim from Miranda’s speech in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

 

But was it really a start for a Brave New World? And no, I am neither referring to the  winning of the first World Cup title by Spain nor the Economic crisis of Greece or Ireland!

 

As I cast a bird’s eye-view at 2010, I see a trial of events which could comfortably be discussed on the Eternal World Travel Network as well as the Jay Leno talk-show (one excluding the other). I am summarizing them below for your convenience:

  1. The medical crisis in Haiti following the devastating earthquake in January 12;
  2. The most comprehensive overhaul of the US’s healthcare system since the introduction of Medicare;
  3. The withdrawal from markets (including our own) of rosiglitazone (Avandia and Avandamet) and sibutramine (Reductil) and the announcement that Mixtard 30 will be gradually discontinued;
  4. The introduction of the first oral drug on the US market for Multiple Sclerosis;
  5. The production of the first synthetic cell;
  6. The news of a new superbug (NDM-1) containing the NDM gene, which evolved in India but which is now present in the UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden and Netherlands;
  7. The introduction of trials of prescription vending machines in Sainsbury’s pharmacies in Sussex.
  8. Not to mention the Asian Tiger Mosquito, bearer of diseases whose names (including Chikungunya and Dengue) which can be used for dyslexic testing!

 

Yes … 2010 was the start of a Brave New World! And 2011 will surely keep up the pace … if you stay still you can even hear Spring and Summer shouting ‘Bring it on … we are bold enough to face any challenges!’

 

In January 2010 I also remember writing on the possible hiring of facilities in private hospitals by the government to tackle the bed shortage at Mater Dei Hospital, also arising from acute admissions. In January 2011, I read the newspapers. And you also read the newspapers. I will not add more on this.

 

I felt that I should also mention (considering our current debates) that Robert Edwards was awarded the 2010 Nobel prize in medicine or physiology for his work in developing IVF. Indeed, about 4 million people were born over the past 32 years using IVF. Now, putting aside all the other slants of IVF, personally I strongly advocate such technology for couples who cannot have children (and just to be clear, what I mean by a couple is a naturally born man married to a naturally born woman). And speaking of fiscal incentives I also strongly feel that such incentives should indeed be provided, but please, please let us allocate them simply to make each IVF intervention cheaper for each couple who is indeed facing such taxing times (and yet again excuse my play of words), and not to lip-service any supposedly adoption of surplus embryos which are created through this procedure! Robert Edwards, please note.