NAN
Rev. Sis. Sylvia Ndubuaku, Matron, Family Life Centre, Akwa Ibom, says funding gaps, stigma and cultural barriers have remained the major challenges against the treatment and cure of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) in the state.
Ndubuaku made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Mbribit Itam, Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
The VVF is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder (vesico) and the vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault.
NAN reports that other causative factors of VVF include pelvic radiation, malignancy or other trauma.
It also most commonly occur due to prolonged and obstructed labour where the baby’s head might be disproportionately large for the mother’s pelvic outlet.
She said that since the VVF/Maternal Birth Injury Hospital opened in 1990 at Mbribit Itam, it had been relying on humanitarian efforts and support to keep running.
The matron said that the treatment of VVF was very demanding as patients were mostly the poor, who could hardly pay for the treatment.
According to her, some people’s detestable cultural beliefs as well as those who still indulge in female genital mutilations also contribute to VVF incidents and persons living with preventable VVF scourge.
“Funding remains our challenge and how to break the cultural barriers of some communities.
“VVF is preventable, the Federal, States and Local Governments need to wake up and face the challenges,’’ Ndubuaku said.
The matron, who attributed the major causes of VVF to prolonged obstructed labour during childbirth, advised against early marriages.
Ndubuaku said the centre organised quarterly operations for patients with VVF across the state and beyond, and admitted 66 patients in the first quarter operations in 2018.
She said that 26 of the patients were operated upon, while 22 were those with purely VVF cases and 18 were new cases of the scourge.
“We organise pool effort for surgery; it takes two weeks tedious operations. Four times in a year we take in patients.
“Each time we call for camp in preparation for operations, we do not have less than 28 new cases.
“Vesico Vaginal Fistula operations demand a lot of money. We cannot cope alone. We require support from governments, multinational organisations and philanthropists to come to our aid.
“We expect to have another operation in August and we need assistance because VVF patients we encounter so far are very poor,’’ Ndubuaku said.
She also said that VVF patients also suffer stigma such that instead of seeking help for patients family members would first isolate those with the problem from public before rejecting them.
She appealed against stigmatisation of patients with VVF, stressing that VVF patients when treated properly can live normal lives; be pregnant and give birth without any hindrance.
The matron emphasised the need for government and individuals to create awareness about the existence of the problem, the causes, effect, prevention and treatment.
She also urged women with abnormal communication between the vaginal and bladder or the rector to seek medical assistance instead of isolating themselves from the public.
She commended ExxonMobil for its kind gesture of taking care of some of the workers’ salaries for years now at the centre.
Ndubuaku also commended the Akwa Ibom Government for also rendering support by deploying nurses, among others, to the centre.