A male doctor screening the breast of a female

Though the essence of breast cancer awareness campaign is gradually catching up with Ghanaians, the presence of young male doctors who conduct the screening in some of the hospitals, seems to be taking the zeal out of some women who are yet to give birth to go to the hospital for this important exercise.

Their concern came from reports they had received from some of their friends that they were examined by male doctors when they went for breast screening, contrary to their wish.

A couple of pretty ladies The Spectator interviewed on the issue but wished to remain anonymous, said though they appreciated the awareness creation campaign being carried out every year to educate Ghanaians on the dangers of the disease and the need to have early screening, they felt shy to report at the hospital to be examined by young male doctors.

According to them, they would have preferred female doctors to be in-charge of the exercise so as to encourage ladies of their calibre to go for breast screening.

“This is our humble appeal and we would be extremely glad if it is given the needed attention,” they pleaded.

Ms Veronica Dordaa, an anaesthetist at St John of God Hospital, Amrahia, in the Adentan Municipality, asked the women who had expressed this concern and others who shared the same sentiments to put aside their coyness and go for the screening since the benefit they would derive outweighed the shyness.

She said that at St John of God Hospital for instance, midwives had been trained and placed in-charge of breast screening, adding that they only referred cases which were beyond them to medical doctors.

Ms Dordaa explained that male gynaechologists had been of immense assistance to many women who had become proud mothers while female midwives continued to partner male doctors in the delivery process.

She said physicians per their training and ethics, were preoccupied with ensuring that patients were cured and would not take undue advantage of them when they sought medical care at the hospital.

Ms Dordaa, therefore, advised young women to take their health issues seriously, clear their minds of negative ideas and seek assistance at the hospital without delay.

A mother of three said when really confronted with the challenges of labour, an expectant mother would forget about the sex of the health official who attended to her and follow whatever directives given to enable her to be delivered of her child, adding that incidents of shyness would automatically fizzle out when faced with real life situation.

By Raymond Kyekye