adminFortunate Gora Mash West Correspondent
More than 400 women have successfully undergone obstetric fistula surgery at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital since Government and its partners introduced the programme in 2015.
Obstetric fistula (OF) is a medical condition in which a hole develops in the birth canal as a result of childbirth.
The fistula (hole) normally develops between the vagina and the rectum, ureter or the bladder and this leaves the woman incontinent of urine or stool or both.
Government, in partnership with the United Population Fund and Women and Health Alliance International set up a Fistula Repair Centre at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital in August 2015, where affected women were offered free surgery.
In an interview, director of the Family Health Department in the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Mr Bernard Madzima, said most obstetric fistula patients were not aware that the condition could be corrected.
“Some cannot afford the surgery hence the need to continue increasing awareness about OF and the free surgeries being offered by MoHCC and partners is very crucial,” he said.
Mr Madzima said more than 400 women have undergone successful surgery and the operations are still going on at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital.
“The OF repairs are held once per quarter, that is four OF repair camps per year and 60 women are targeted for every quarter, making a total of 240 repairs per year,” he said
“The identification, booking and referral of women with fistula is ongoing and more than 150 women have been booked for surgeries so far.”
Mr Madzima said Government is working on decentralising the community obstetric fistula surveillance and remedying centres across the country by the end of the year.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care and UNFPA piloted a community OF surveillance in Manicaland and this has seen the province referring more women per every quarter. So there are plans to decentralise the community OF surveillance and also the obstetric fistula repairs to other centres by end of year,” he said.
Women who need to book for the surgeries can call on toll fee line 08080231.
The true extent of the obstetric fistula in Zimbabwe is unknown, however, according to the United Nations statistics, for every woman who dies, roughly 20 suffer serious injury or disability, of which obstetric fistula is one of the serious injuries.
Online Reporter