Men’s health services launched at Randburg Clinic
Nurses and health coaches to help with men's specific treatment at Randburg Clinic.
Spirits were high when a special men’s health services programme was launched at Randburg Clinic on July 27.
Though the event started an hour late, hundreds of doctors, nurses, health coaches, politicians and other industry leaders were in attendance, including the MMC for Health and Social Development, Ashley Sauls I and the City of Johannesburg’s regional health deputy director, Zanozuko Mbane.
But the real spearheader of the initiative, Anova Health Institute’s technical specialist, Beloved Manasidze, received much applause when he took to the stage. “Just speaking in this city, because there is a lot we do elsewhere, this is our ninth clinic we are launching in Joburg and there are over 35 000 men currently receiving treatment from these clinics,” he said.
“We’ve trained 1 800 nurses and our health coaches are helping so many people. When it comes to HIV [and other illnesses] we do not see men testing, or if they do they then do not use the services that are available to them.”
He explained that the organisation partnered with the city to launch the services to combat the phenomenon that men are not using health services as often as women, in South Africa. So it is a struggle to raise awareness and reduce stigma as much as it is to offer services in a comfortable environment for men.
Earlier, former Ward 104 councillor Mike Wood opened proceedings on behalf of Ward 102 councillor David Potter, who could not attend.
Mbane welcomed guests before there were several other speeches, including a keynote address by Sauls.
The clinic will soon provide men’s-specific:
- HIV testing and treatment
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis
- Post-exposure prophylaxis
- STI screening, TB screening
- Prostate cancer screening
- Diabetes screening
- Hypertension screening
- Referral services
- Acute services
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