The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has presented medical equipment to the Mercy Women’s Catholic Hospital in Mankessim in the Central Region to support the hospital’s work in repairing women with obstetric fistula.
The equipment will enable the Fistula Unit of the hospital to improve the lives of women who are experiencing the devastating childbirth injury, obstetric fistula, which causes incontinence of urine or faeces. They include patient monitors, suction machines, microscopes, hospital beds, lockers, trolleys and bed sheets.
Dr Wilfred Ochan ( left) interacting with Ms Rose Mantey, acting Nursing Manager of the Mercy Women’s Catholic Hospital during a tour of the fistula unit.
Partnership
In a brief statement before the donation, the Country Representative of UNFPA, Dr Wilfred Ochan stressed the need for increased partnership to support the provision of services for fistula victims. He indicated that UNFPA has been supporting the National Obstetric Fistula Programme in various capacities, including providing financial support for surgical repairs of survivors, building the capacity of surgeons, equipping facilities, and engaging in advocacy on obstetric fistula.
However, he said, ending fistula requires a multi-faceted approach, including investments in health systems, education, and gender equality and this calls for partnerships.
According to him, about 1.8 percent of every 1.000 births develops fistula but only 100 women are repaired in a year and called for surgical campaigns and outreaches to augment routine surgical repairs in order to clear the backlog of cases.
Dr. Wilfred Ochan UNFPA country Representative ( right) presenting the items to Dr. Silas Amponsah, acting Medical Director of the Mercy Women’s Hospital
Dr. Ochan further called for increased effort to upgrade the skills and expertise of surgeons in fistula repairs so as to reduce the current failure rate of surgery.
“The donation of this equipment represents a significant investment in the health and well-being of women and girls living with obstetric fistula, and it is a tangible expression of our commitment to supporting the rights and restoring the dignity of all women and girls,” the UNFPA representative stated.
Dr Ochan also applauded the management and staff of Mercy Women’s Hospital for their prodigious contribution to ending the plight of women with obstetric fistula in Ghana and beyond.
Fistula hub
The acting Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Silas Amponsah said the hospital’s fistula unit caters for patients from all over the country with the majority from the northern parts of the country.
He appealed for support to enable the hospital to expand and upgrade the structure housing the unit so that more fistula patients can benefit from their services.
Dr. Joseph Langa Berko, a surgeon and a specialist at the hospital said that fistula repairs are largely successful with only a 20 percent failure rate, explaining that the failures may occur due to late reportage, the severity of the fistula or when the patient is malnourished, in which case they do not heal very well.
He gave the assurance, however, that these cases undergo a second surgery to repair their fistula.
Financial assistance
The acting Nursing Manager of the hospital, Ms. Rose Mantey indicated that the greatest challenge facing the unit was funding as “fistula repair which costs about GHC5, 500 is offered free of charge to the women. This includes surgery, feeding and two weeks admission.”
“Currently the hospital has 25 women waiting to be repaired and we call them in as we receive funding from our benefactors, Ms. Mantey added and appealed to corporate institutions and the public for support.
By Rosemary Ardayfio