Members of the society have been called to show love and care to people living with Obstetric Fistula to aid psychological healing of patients. Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology with the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Dr. Emmanuella Ezebuiro described Obstetric Fistula as a connection between two opening involving the vagina, bladder, and urethra that occurs during child birth.
Dr. Ezebuiro who listed the symptoms of obstetric fistula to involve leakage of urine and feaces with foul smell attributed the causes to teenage pregnancy and unskilled birth attendants. “So when there is a deformity in the hip bone there would be increase occurrence of obstructed labour and obstetric fistula.
Malnutrition and lack of education, are part of its factors. When a girl child is uneducated the child is at risk of teenage pregnancy and with teenage pregnancy obstetric fistula is on the increase.
So poor parental care too is also there. When there is poor parental care obstetric fistula is inevitable and before you know they start to hide the child and will not register the child for ante- natal care.
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The child would be pregnant without ante- natal and deliver at home before you could know it she is leaking urine. So these are factors that can lead to increase to the incidence of obstetric fistula. Also ignorance too is a factor because when this happens the women tend to shy away they do not speak-up, before you know it the situation has gone hay-wire”, she explained.
Dr. Ezebuiro called on the relevant authority to carry out adequate sensitization programme to educate the people on the dangers and prevention if obstetric fistula. “We are doing radio sensitization, TV programme to enlighten the public about this condition.The Rivers State Ministry of Health has a programme in place for these maternities to sensitive or encourage them to refer labours that are prolonged in their centres to the primary health centres.
If the midwives that are trained in delivery at the centre cannot handle the situation, they can refer to the higher centres. Also we would reach out to traditional leaders to help organize local awareness programme”, she stated. She urged the government to equip the medical sector and train the available health professionals on obstetric fistula to encourage them tackle the ailment effectively.
“Our government should wake- up to their responsibilities and fund the health sector cannot be overemphasized.The health Sector should be adequately funded with the required equipment and facility.There should be access road to the health facility so that those women that need help and care can get to the health facilities”, she concluded.The medical experts enjoined the people living with fistula to speak up and visit the nearest medical centres for immediate attention.
