By our reporter
The National Obstetric Fistula Centre (NOFIC),Abakaliki, Ebonyi state has repaired over 4000 obstetric fistula patients and operated about 3000 uterine prolapse cases free of charge since 2008.
The Medical Director of the hospital
Professor Johnson Obuna, who disclosed this duing the flag-off of Pool-Effort Fistula Repair Campaign at the hospital, attributed the rising cases of obstetric fistula to poor obstetric services.
According to him, we are observing ugly and worrisome trends where poorly done Caesarean section is increasingly becoming the commonest cause of obstetric fistula in our Southern region.
He further expressed worry that some of the successfully repaired and rehabilitated obstetric fistula patients were still presenting with recurrent fistula because they resorted to quacks for delivery of their babies.
"So far, from 2008 till date, about four thousand (4000) obstetric fistula patients have been treated free, in this centre. We have also operated about three thousand (3000) uterine prolapse cases.
"One of the major causes of obstetric fistula is poor or default obstetric services. Many women due to poverty or ignorance on how to access standard obstetric services, resort to quacks or deliver at home and therefore come up with obstetric fistula due to absent or poorly supervised labour," the NOFIC Medical Director, said.
He disclosed that the hospital on 18th August 2020, commenced maternity services in order to prevent both primary and recurrent obstetric fistula among women.
"Here,we offer free antenatal and delivery services including free Caesarean section to all successfully repaired patients who are pregnant and who wish to deliver in our centre, while we offer antenatal and delivery services as well as new born services at a very subsidized costs to the general public,especially the indigent in order to discourage them from seeking maternity services from untrained and poorly trained birth attendants", he added.
Obuna further added that the one week pool-effort fistula repair campaign which is being co-sponsored by the office of the Wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs Rachel Umahi, Gender Unit of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Fistula Foundation, was targeting between 50 to 100 obstetric fistula patients across the 17 Southern States and Benue.
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