DUBAI // The first federal government clinic exclusively for men's health will open in September, the Ministry of Health said yesterday.
The clinic will be at Al Muhaisnah Health Centre in Dubai and will cater to men aged between 20 and 70.
It will provide treatment for conditions including prostate inflammation, and urinary and testicular disorders.
It will also specialise in early diagnosis of prostate cancer.
"We have so many programmes for mothers and for children, but we need programmes for men," said Dr Mustafa Al Hashemi, deputy director of the ministry's Dubai Medical District.
Having a dedicated clinic would also motivate men to come forward with problems that are often stigmatised by society, Dr Al Hashemi said.
"Many of the health problems men may encounter are still not very accepted socially, and having a centre with dedicated staff would make men feel more comfortable," he said.
"Some of these problems are linked with other systems in the body and may indicate chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease."
Similar clinics in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been running for several years under the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi and the Dubai Health Authority.
There is another at Tawam Hospital, the oncology centre in Al Ain.
Dr Waleed Hassen, assistant professor of urology for Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and chief urologist at Tawam, said men needed to feel comfortable with their healthcare centre.
"As individuals, patients are more than willing to be treated and having dedicated facilities provides them with the comfort zone to do so, as long as it's done using a multidisciplinary approach," Dr Hassen said.
He said the men's clinic at Tawam Hospital treated about 2,000 cases of sexual dysfunction a year.
Early detection and prevention of prostate cancer is an important part of the new clinic, which will also collate data as there are no recent national figures, Dr Al Hashemi said.
The ministry will review its performance after six months, with the goal of opening similar ones across the Northern Emirates.
