Methven men encouraged to put their health first

Methven men are being encouraged to “take their health seriously”, at a free Men’s Health Night, hosted by the Methven Lions Club and Medical Centre.

“Most blokes know full well that they should get checked up and never do anything about it, until they get a nasty shock,” said Methven Lions member Mac McElwain.

“This event is about putting the opportunity in front of local men, giving them a chance to understand that if they are worried about something, they’re not alone.”

The Health Night will be held at the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall on Friday, June 19, and will host eight health experts, who each specialise in common health issues afflicting Kiwi men.

Specialists in heart health, diabetes, prostate health, blood pressure, mental wellbeing, substance use, and skin cancer will all speak at the event, providing information and advice.

From 7pm, “half time, a cuppa, and a supper,” will also be included in the evening, and attendees will have the opportunity to book a check-up, and learn how to access health assessments through the Methven Medical Centre.

The initiative is the first in 10 years for Methven, following a successful event run by the Leeston Lions Club which attracted more than 300 attendees, including McElwain and a group of Methven Lions members.

“We were gobsmacked by the turnout there,” McElwain said. “Clearly there’s a need. We came back and said, ‘Well, we’ve really got to do one here, haven’t we?’”

Following the presentations, men are invited to book-in a health check, providing a “warrant of fitness” for their health, McElwain said.

The Methven Medical Centre will offer a discounted rate for men who have not had a GP check-up in the past two years, and the medical centre has already seen “a real uptick” in bookings from rural men since the event was first announced in May.

McElwain told the Guardian, the informal community setting may encourage men, particularly farming men, to seek advice.

“Women are much better at this. They talk about things, and they do something about it,” he said.

“Blokes tend to go, ‘She’ll be right,’ or ‘I’ll do it next week.’ But all the medical advice we get is that if there are issues, the sooner you get onto them, the better the outcome.”

McElwain told the Guardian, organisers are hoping wives and partners will also encourage the men in their lives to attend.

“A lot of the conversations we’ve been having are with women, to say, ‘send your bloke to come along,’” he said.

The Men’s Health Night is free to attend, and open to all members of the community. “It’s just about opening the gates, and hoping people walk through,” McElwain said.