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Costlier healthcare is no new phenomenon

This content was published on Jul 22, 2003 Figures released by the Federal Statistics Office show the cost of health insurance and services rose at twice the cost of living over the period 1960-2000. The report does not consider the development to be an “explosive” increase. Instead it links more expensive medical treatments and hospital stays to increased demand for higher standards of…

Novartis records solid first six months

This content was published on Jul 21, 2003 The Basel-based pharmaceutical firm said the increase over the same period last year was helped by strong sales, which rose 20 per cent in dollar terms. Novartis said it had seen strong growth in pharmaceuticals (+18 per cent) and generics (+87 per cent), which lifted first-half sales to $11.9 billion. Figures were boosted by Novartis’…

Green tourism flourishes in Chasseral

This content was published on Jul 20, 2003 One such project is the Chasseral Regional Park, which aims to minimise the effects of tourism on the surrounding environment. “It’s an idea born out of good sense,” Fabien Vogelsperger, the project’s coordinator, told swissinfo. “We don’t want to create a nature reserve or a theme park like Disneyland. We just want to harmonise human…

New accolade for Nobel prize winner

This content was published on Jul 19, 2003 The man who mapped the prion protein, implicated in Mad Cow disease, told swissinfo that his decision to become a chemist was largely an accident. Wüthrich literally stumbled into a scientific career after a foot injury put paid to his ambitions to be a footballer. He is now one of the world’s most eminent scientists…

Hot weather brings smiles and a few tears

This content was published on Jul 19, 2003 The heat has come on the tail end of the driest six-month period ever recorded in Switzerland. The first half of the year saw little in the way of rainfall across much of the country. Record lows were registered in towns such as Zermatt, Delémont, Fribourg, and Bellinzona. The last time so little rain fell…

Quality of hospital care is hidden from patients

This content was published on Jul 18, 2003 At present Swiss hospitals are responsible for carrying out internal reviews, the results of which are not open to outside scrutiny. All public hospitals in Switzerland are obliged to conduct some sort of assessment under a federal law on health insurance and quality assurance – or else they lose their funding. But they are under…

Low-cost airlines circle for Swiss cast-offs

This content was published on Jul 18, 2003 Moritz Suter, well known in Switzerland as the founder of Crossair, said he would start with regular services between Geneva and Lugano. The new airline will begin offering three flights per day from October 28 on a Saab 2000. The move follows last week’s announcement by Swiss that it will reduce its number of destinations…

Marathon vote failed to resolve nuclear dilemma

This content was published on Jul 18, 2003 Analysis of the “marathon” ballot on nine issues has shown that people were often confused, apprehensive or ignorant about the proposed changes. The government opposed separate proposals to extend the existing moratorium on building new plants and to shut down the industry by 2014. Around 60 per cent of voters were swayed by the government’s…

Superscanner rewrites book on the printed word

This content was published on Jul 17, 2003 The machine is already in use at Stanford University in the United States where it is digitising the library’s eight million books at a cost of $250 million (SFr343 million). The robot – named “4DigitalBooks” – has been developed and manufactured by Assy, based near Neuchâtel. It can scan books or magazines of any size…

Hot weather puts ice cream makers in a sweat

This content was published on Jul 17, 2003 Sweltering consumers have emptied warehouses, and manufacturers are working overtime to replenish stocks. Sales in Switzerland traditionally peak between April and September, depending on weather conditions. But the recent heatwave saw reserves melt away even before the official start of summer on June 21. Manufacturers say production reached record levels last month – the hottest…

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Cluster: Archive

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Costlier healthcare is no new phenomenon

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Novartis records solid first six months

More

Green tourism flourishes in Chasseral

More

New accolade for Nobel prize winner

More

Hot weather brings smiles and a few tears

More

Quality of hospital care is hidden from patients

More

Low-cost airlines circle for Swiss cast-offs

More

Marathon vote failed to resolve nuclear dilemma

More

Superscanner rewrites book on the printed word

More

Hot weather puts ice cream makers in a sweat

Popular Stories

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