Swedish TV4 - news sections on ME

Today there was a news section about ME on Swedish television.

The Netflix-launch of Unrest was given much attention with scenes from the trailer.
In studio were prof. Jonas Bergquist (ME-researcher and member of OMFs Scientific Advisory board) and Henrik, a carer over several years for his girlfriend with severe ME.

They talk about the severity of the situation for ME-patients, that there has been a lack of knowledge, but that things are slowly starting to change and that hope lies in more research.

Informative and serious segment. Well done, TV4!

Language: Swedish
Duration: 11 minutes
Den osynliga sjukdomen

 

The same programme will have a new section on ME tomorrow.

Leader of the Swedish Medical Association will join to discuss ME and Unrest.

https://twitter.com/user/status/955120231428624384

 

The programme had a HUGE response on yesterday's section on ME.
Their Facebook post got over 1 K reactions, 247 shares and 228 comments. A lot compared to other responses on their Facebook page.

 

Thanks @Kalliope. From the tweet " Läkarförbundets vård, villkor och lösningar"= Medical Association's care, terms and solutions.

They must have worked hard during the weekend, as there haven´t been anything like this before for ME-patients. Though, some months ago I was recommended CBT and graded exercise (I´m homebound) by a GP who saw me at home.

 

I have a feeling this could go either way..
I hope the doctor attending is studying hard tonight.

 

Agree, @Kalliope, I fear "fake news" may be presented and thereby cause a harsh resistance to facts. I´d like to see @Obermann being interviewed.

 

The Swedish Medical Association just recommended Unrest on twitter. Perhaps we can be hopeful for tomorrow's ME-segment on the news?
https://twitter.com/user/status/955156016869593090

 

Wow. Today's new segment on ME was yet again really good.
The journalists asked rather tough questions to the leader of the Swedish Medical Association and she agreed completely that the care is not good enough, more research is needed, doctors also must be given time to update themselves on new knowledge.

Duration: 6 min. Language: Swedish
Huge lack of knowledge among doctors about ME: It is incredibly frustrating that we have not gotten further

Seems there will be yet another follow-up later with the Head of the Ministry for Health and Social Affairs.

The journalists mentioned several times that the feedback they had gotten after their first segment on ME (the one with prof. Jonas Bergquist and carer Henrik) was astonishing. So if you want to give them a thank you for increasing awareness about ME, share relevant links etc you can do it here on their Facebook post about today's ME-segment.

The Swedish Medical Association has also tweeted about this, saying "More research, faster implementation of new knowledge and enabling of more education for doctors are necessary. Heidi Stensmyren, TV4, Nyhetsmorgon about people with chronic fatigue syndrome ME/CFS which today doesn't get enough help. Change is needed"

https://twitter.com/user/status/955331744051400704

 

Pleased to hear that it went well. Always good when apprehension is unfounded!

 

Yet another great session about ME at Swedish TV4!
The main theme today is lack of benefits for ME-patients in Sweden.

2 ME-patients interviewed. One from his home as he is homebound. He talks about life with ME and his struggle against a health care system with no knowledge about the disease. But lately he has been at Stora Sköndal (a foundation outside Stockholm with an out patient ward for ME-patients) and he wishes for all ME-patients to meet health personell as understanding and knowledgable as them.

In studio is ME-patient Vanja Persson. Ill since 1999, and she has been alone with two children while being mostly bed bound. Today she can work a bit, but needs to lie down most hours during the day.

Lawyer Erik Ward is also in studio. He has met many ME-patients and says it is the same stories he hears, about despair, not being believed and people being very, very ill-treated.

Duration: 11 minutes. Language: Swedish

Vanja: It feels as if I'm watching my life pass by

 

And tomorrow the Minister of Health will be interviewed on the same channel, TV4, in the morning. As we will have an election in September, I think the authorities have to handle ME/CFS seriously from now on.

 

Moving forward thank heavens,

 

Another section today with Swedish Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Annika Strandhäll in studio to talk about the social security system's failure towards ME-patients.

The minister admitted that the system is not good enough, but it is such a complicated diagnosis, great uncertainty, we need to continue to work on this from different perspectives, etc. Nothing really concrete coming out of the interview, but it is great to see TV4 keep pushing ME on the agenda.

Duration: 5 min. Language: Swedish
Strandhäll about ME: The social security system fumbles in darkness