At Men’s Health week event…More women than men seek medical attention

Jun 20, 2016 News

The belief that Guyanese women are more health-conscious than their men-folk was borne out last Saturday, when more females than males turned out for medical check-ups at a Men’s Health Week event at Berbice.
Doctors from the New Amsterdam Hospital held the outreach on the Banks DIH tarmac at Main and New Streets, New Amsterdam.
The activity was held during Men’s Health Week, which ended on Father’s Day.
Men’s Health Week is held to give health care providers, public policy makers, the media and individuals an opportunity to encourage men to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease, injury and any signs of illness.
Speaking to the media, spokesman- Dr. Dedon Johashen stated that men do not usually visit hospitals or health institutions to have medical checkups.
A decision was taken to hold an outreach and take the medical service to them; thus the busy Main Street area was selected.
He also stated that with the ministry being renamed Ministry of Public Health, part of the aim is to take health activities to the public.

Irony? A doctor tends to one of the women who turned up at the Men’s Health event

According to Dr Johashen, about six doctors, along with lab technicians, pharmacy representatives and nurses were on hand to treat the patients. The turnout was encouraging and patients were treated for various ailments, while some were referred to the New Amsterdam hospital.
Patients were also tested for diabetes and had their blood pressure tested among other medical checkups.
According to Dr Johashen, although it was an activity to observe Men’s Health Week, the event was open to all and quite surprisingly, more females turned out for medical attention than males.
Activities of similar nature were held at other locations throughout the country and according to Dr. Johashen, there are plans to have an activity of such nature on a regular basis.
It was during a Men’s Health Week Walk in Georgetown that Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shamdeo Persaud stated that Guyanese women tend to outnumber men by seven to one, primarily because men usually die earlier than women.
Dr. Persaud had attributed this factor to ‘toxic’ habits, such as lack of exercise, abuse of alcohol and tobacco smoking.
At the same event, Dr. Adu-Krow, PAHO/WHO Representative in Guyana, said that “men are generally not health-seeking individuals; the Ministry of Public Health understands that creative ways and means have to and need to be put in place to encourage and foster good health-seeking behaviour in the male population.”

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