Dubai: All government and private hospitals and clinics in the emirate, including those in free zones, except the Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), were asked six months ago by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to ensure that only female medical staff conduct mammograms.
Earlier this month, the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) put forth a proposal to discourage male staff from conducting mammograms at hospitals, Following this announcement, Gulf News assessed the opinion among gynaecologists in Dubai to learn whether the gender of the doctor conducting regular female health check-ups matters. And if it matters, do healthcare authorities have gender regulations in place only for mammography or for gynaecology as well.
The reason for concern that has led to a draft law, HAAD stated, was due to cultural sensitivities with female patients uncomfortable with male technicians conducting intensive assessments. In the new edition of the HAAD standards for breast cancer screening and diagnosis, the authority will prohibit male technicians from performing mammograms.
Currently in Dubai, there is a regulation in place regarding the gender of the professional conducting the mammogram. A spokesperson from the DHA told Gulf News, “According to the Diagnostics and Imaging Regulation of DHA, it is mandatory for only female staff to conduct mammograms. This regulation has been implemented six months ago.”
To learn more about the guidelines in place for breast cancer screening and diagnosis in terms of the gender of the technician, the Ministry of Health (MoH) was approached, but an official from the regulatory body declined to comment.
Further information on regulations regarding gynaecology weren’t available through DHA or the ministry, especially whether it is mandatory for a female medical staff to accompany a male gynaecologist.
To understand the concerns of female patients and to find out whether gender in gynaecology and by extension, breast cancer screening, should be the realm of only female doctors, Gulf News spoke to both male and female gynaecologists.
Dr Sejal Devendra Surti, Obstetrics and Gynaecology at DM Healthcare, said that gender matters especially in the field of gynaecology. She explained that women are more comfortable being examined by another woman. “They are more at ease discussing issues related to pregnancy and problems related to female health because most female doctors would have experienced all the phases a woman passes through her life. This holds true during adolescence, pregnancy and delivery, and menopause.”
She added that there are reasons female patients aren’t comfortable discussing sensitive issues with a male doctor. “From experience, the reason is socio-cultural, especially during tests like pap smear and mammogram, and during delivery.”
According to Dr Hafeez Rahman, Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at International Modern Hospital, female patients tend to be more comfortable being examined by a female gynaecologist, but do not have an issue seeking surgical treatment from a male doctor. He said, “It is only a psychological issue. We gynaecologists are professionals. It is our responsibility to gain the psychological confidence of the patient and the family. To help foster trust, we keep a female attendant during examination.”
Fellow male gynaecologist, Dr Pankaj Shrivastav, Director of Conceive - The Gynaecology and Fertility Hospital that specialises in reproductive medicine, believes that only expertise matters, not gender. “As part of my specialisation, I deal with several female patients. In a few cases, it is the patient’s husband who is uncomfortable with his wife being examined by a male gynaecologist, not the patient. Still despite the expertise, some female patients, due to cultural factors, might be uncomfortable being examined by a male gynaecologist.”
Each patient should have a choice regarding gender, added Dr Shrivastav. “A female patient should be able to choose the doctor or technician she is most comfortable with whether it is for a routine exam or a mammogram. The problem arises when this choice isn’t available, and the decision is no longer in the hands of the patient.”
Dr Shiva Harikrishnan, Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Medcare Hospital, shares Dr Shrivastav’s views. She said expertise should be the deciding factor for any patient. “There has been more awareness and less conservatism in this regard during the past five to six years. I have seen female patients being referred to male gynaecologists for a particular specialisation. To make the female patient feel at ease, the presence of a female attendant is very helpful.”
