‘See a doctor’ advice from motorsport star
AUCKLAND: Longtime Men’s Health Week ambassador Greg Murphy is calling on New Zealand men to take care of their health and ‘‘find the time’’ to get regular medical checkups, as a part of the buildup to this year’s campaign from today until June 20.
The Kiwi motorsport star has also been in the spotlight in the past week, after announcing he is coming out of retirement to compete at this year’s Bathurst 1000.
He said there needed to be a change in the culture of how men look at their health, including making the time for regular medical checkups.
Men were often bad patients, Murphy said.
‘‘Women do a much better job of looking after themselves.
‘‘We’ve got this thing about we’re too staunch to see a doctor or it’s not what we do, it’s not tough enough or whatever.’’
Every year 365 New Zealanders die of melanoma, and 60% of them are men.
‘‘There are so many scenarios or cases where death is preventable, because of the types of melanomas, and the prostate side of things, as well.’’
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in New Zealand, with more than 650 deaths each year as of 2018 statistics, according to the Ministry of Health.
‘‘A lot of these things can be diagnosed and we can do so many things these days to prevent some of this loss, which is just unnecessary,’’ Murphy said.
‘‘Men should be getting a relationship formed with their doctor and going and getting these checks done.’’
Too often, men wait years between regular doctors’ visits, and the Men’s Health Week website gives tips for getting on a regular schedule.
During his motorsports career, Murphy said he has been required to get annual medical exams, which helped establish the importance of a health routine.
‘‘Every year you put it in your calendar and you just go and do it, regardless of what you feel.’’ — RNZ