FROM Abubakar Rabilu GOMBE Mrs. Rose Ajuji, 60-year-old woman who lives with fistula for 30 years as a result of failed pregnanc...
FROM Abubakar Rabilu GOMBE
Mrs. Rose Ajuji, 60-year-old woman who lives with fistula for 30 years as a result of failed pregnancy has shared her harrowing experience with the disease, from stigmatization, emotional upset and abandonment by her husband and the community.
Rose, who hailed from Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State, revealed that the condition has relegated her to isolation and despair until help came from the Fistula Foundation Nigeria, an NGO dedicated its activities towards treating women with fistula.
The Fistula survivor, while expressing gratitude to the foundation for restoring her health dignity and hope through its free surgical intervention, appealed to the public to desist from discriminating women suffering from obstetric fistula, emphasizing that it they equally needs care and respect as humans.
Another beneficiary of the Foundation intervention, Rukayya Manir, a young woman from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State who suffered from fistula for five years after her second childbirth, described as unfortunate that she was stigmatized by her family members and the community.
Rukayya was optimistic that her ordeal will become a history when fully recovered from free surgery carried out by the Foundation in Gombe.
Commenting, the Chairman of the Fistula Foundation Nigeria, Musa Isa, popularly known as Baba Musa, explained that the organization provides free surgical interventions across the country for women suffering from obstetric fistula.
"In addition to surgeries, the foundation has trained 50 women in various skills and equipped them with necessary tools as well as assisting women with fistula in rural areas," he said.
Musa called on the government at all levels and health agencies to train more healthcare workers and educate the public on the risks of undergoing prolonged labour by pregnant women at home.
Dr. Garba Muhammad Buwa, a physician with the Gombe State Specialist Hospital, explained that out of 69 women that seeks treatment, only 50 were confirmed with fistula and underwent surgery.
"Some patients required multiple surgeries, ranging from two to seven, due to the severity of their conditions. Each surgery often lasted over three hours to ensure lasting results and prevent recurrence," he explained.
Dr. Buwa attributes prolonged labour and medical error during pregnancy as some of the factors that causes fistula.
He stressed the importance of proper management of the first surgery to prevent complications.
“The first surgery must be done right, or the condition worsens,” Dr. Buwa said.
He also emphasized the need for a mandatory two-week post-surgery rest period before discharge, as failure to follow medical advice could lead to a recurrence of the condition.
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