Ministry to expand men's wellness services nationwide - Rina

PUTRAJAYA: The wellness services for men will be expanded to Klinik Nur Sejahtera (KNS) of the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) nationwide if the pilot project that is being implemented at the clinic in Dungun, Terengganu receives a good response, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun.

She said the provision of men's wellness services was an additional function of KNS, which is more focused on women's reproductive health, adding that the services were previously only provided at the Kuala Lumpur KNS.

Rina said the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPKWM) would focus on the results of the first state-level pilot project at Dungun KNS, which provided specialised services for psychosocial assistance and health education to local men.

"Insya Allah, we will expand to other states based on the response," she told reporters after attending KPWKM Excellent Service Award (APC) ceremony here today.

A total of 642 KPWKM and Social Welfare Department (JKM) officers and support staff received the award, including 15 disabled staff members.

Rina said men experienced the same health and psychosocial problems as women but most of them were embarrassed to seek help, adding that she hoped the initiative to provide wellness services for them would help reduce their problems.

Rina was quoted as saying that a total of 22,156 men in the country sought counselling services from LPKKN for various reasons from 2019 till June this year, of which 33 per cent involved those who were having issues with their spouses, financial problems (20 per cent), family problems (17 per cent), and others (30 per cent).

-- BERNAMA