The Regional Hospital of Ngaoundéré will now be able to take care of obstetric fistula on a routine basis, given the support of UNFPA.
Obstetric fistula care, coupled with the training for medical personnel involved in the fight against obstetric fistula started this week at the regional hospital of Ngaoundéré.
For this first wave 20 women will be supported free of charge with the objective of making ordinary obstetric fistula care in the said health facility.
The Protestant hospital of Ngaoundéré, then the only obstetric fistula distribution center in the UNFPA project, will be supported by the center of the Regional Hospital of Ngaoundéré and that of Ngaoubela.
While the figures of the World Health Organization indicate that in the Adamawa region, about 23,000 women in Cameroon have been recorded with this, a good number have been counted as those who desire an operation as most urgent.
From now on, the repair of obstetric fistula will be a routine to meet this vital health need.
"It is a taboo health problem, often shameful as described by others, but which is now fiercely tackled by the Regional Hospital of Ngaoundéré under the leadership of its Director Dr Mamoudou. An information and training campaign for medical staff working in the obstetric fistula care and repair cycle is ongoing".
Obstetric fistula is the appearance of abnormal communication, a "channel" between: the vagina and the bladder, the bladder and the rectum, or between the vagina and the rectum. Usually, these fistulas are the consequences of a difficult or poorly followed delivery with prolonged labor that will lead to a rupture.
UNFPA is making a difference by helping women and young girls who have these problems. For this first-of-its-kind operation, 20 women will be identified then taken care of and treatment of the disease. Thanks to UNFPA with funding from the Islamic Development Bank.
“Women who are victims of fistulas are mostly poor women, who don't have the means and are often rejected by their families and isolated, '' explains Dr Danki, Surgeon responsible for training medical personnel on the obstetric fistula chain and several psychologists.
"We have been on the field, we have seen women who are out of society because they suffer from obstetric fistula and even their children are not able to take care of them." He added.
More information revealed that those who suffer from "fistulas", suffer not only from the disease but also from the reactions of their close relatives.
"We are the victim of violence! When we prepare the meal, our families do not want to eat. We even take advantage of that to say that we are going to find another wife for the husband because they no longer want to support us!", Testifies a patient who came for treatment.
Though there is hope for the cure and while it is true that obstetric fistula is a crippling pathology of the poor in Africa and in Cameroon in particular, a glimmer of light is on the horizon. UNFPA will be assisting in the management of the disease, which has started at the Regional Hospital in Ngaoundéré.
"We plan to leave 20 patients to be operated on and the list is not closed! If there are ladies who suffer from the disease, they can always come when they have the information to be examined and to be taken care of, "explains the medical team.
An opportunity that women seize to end the disease that is destroying their lives.
"We are really happy that UNFPA organized this. We followed the press release on the radio, we got the information and we came for the pick-up. We hope everything goes well until the end! ", Rejoices, a beneficiary of the event before adding.
" I would like to tell women that we are no longer in a time when we must hide the disease and die from it. Obstetric fistula continues with women in the village of Ngaoubela. Now, no doubt new lives saved ..."
By Adamawa Correspondent
