Enhancing lives: Fistula patients urged to head to equipped centres

Surgery is the only cure for which trained staff, equipment are vital

PESHAWAR:

After treating fistula patients without charge for the past two years and running facilities in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and Larkana, representatives of the Pakistan National Forum on Women Health (PNFWH) urged the people to make full use of the opportunity it offered at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday.

Speaking to journalists, PNFWH Country Director Dr Sajjad Ahmad Siddiqui said over 5,000 women suffer from fistula each year in Pakistan while the medical condition has almost disappeared from the United States and Europe. “The cases are mostly reported from far-flung areas including the tribal belt, Shangla, Kohistan, Skardu and northern parts of the country where there is an absolute dearth of trained staff,” he explained.



Siddiqui said the facilities in the rural areas are inadequate and in almost 90% of the cases of obstructed labour, the babies do not survive. “There are untrained staff members at these facilities and the only cure for this condition is surgery. Therefore, all fistula cases must be immediately referred to our centres, particularly the one at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) that has trained staff and the required expertise from Pakistan and abroad,” he added. “PNFWH has carried out 4,500 surgeries over the last two years.”

Siddiqui also said that PNFWH has been receiving patients from Afghanistan who are not only treated without charge but also receive reimbursements for their travel and medical expenses.

Precaution and prevention

Siddiqui suggested that women must visit a well-equipped health centre at least four times at different intervals — after every two to three months during pregnancy — to prevent contracting an infection.



PNFWH K-P Head Dr Muhammad Yasir said that it is essential to create more awareness about the medical condition and its free treatment in order to prevent it from being more rampant than it already is. “We have held seminars and awareness sessions across the country to inform women with fistula that their medical condition can be cured,” he said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Tanveer Shafqat, who has been dealing with fistula patients at LRH, said lady health workers must play an active role in creating awareness and helping women.

He said the most complicated cases are the ones where patients are either diabetic or have undergone two surgeries. “Fistula patients with diabetes are given insulin regularly so that their glucose level is maintained during surgery, but at times, complications arise and the situation becomes risky,” Dr Shafqat added.

Obstructed labour

Fistula is one of the most serious injuries incurred during childbirth. Obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal and rectum caused by prolonged, obstructed labour due to the lack of timely and adequate medical care, resulting in constant leakage of waste matter from the woman’s body.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2015.