Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin
The federal government has provided a platform where women suffering from obstetric fistula, will be treated free, including surgery, feeding and transportation support in Edo State.
This was disclosed by Professor Ileogben Sunday-Adeoye, the Medical Director of the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Benin City.
Speaking with journalists, Sunday-Adeoye said the facility was established to provide specialised care for women living with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) and Recto Vaginal Fistula (RVF), conditions that result in the uncontrollable leakage of urine and faeces through the vagina.
According to him: “The treatment is completely free, including feeding and transportation.
“These women are among the poorest of the poor, and the federal government has made the corrective surgery free because the procedure can ordinarily cost millions of naira,” he said.
He explained that the centre, located along Ugbor Community Road in Benin City, is the fourth and newest National Obstetric Fistula Facility established by the federal government to address the growing burden of obstetric fistula across the country.
Sunday-Adeoye reaffirmed the commitment of the federal government to reducing the burden of obstetric fistula and restoring hope to affected women through accessible and quality healthcare services.
According to him, the hospital is designed to cater for patients in Edo State, the South-South geopolitical zone and neighbouring states.
Sunday-Adeoye noted that contrary to previous assumptions that obstetric fistula was largely a northern Nigeria problem, recent findings have shown that the condition is also prevalent in the southern part of the country.
He attributed the condition mainly to prolonged obstructed labour, often caused when the baby’s head is too large to pass through the mother’s pelvis.
He explained that when timely caesarean section is not carried out, prolonged labour can lead to tissue damage, resulting in holes forming between the bladder, rectum and vagina, thereby causing continuous leakage of urine or faeces.
According to the medical expert, the condition leaves victims physically, emotionally and socially traumatised, while also stripping them of dignity.
“What ultimately happens is that the blood supply to the tissues is cut off, leading to tissue death and the formation of holes through which urine or faeces pass uncontrollably into the vagina,” he explained.
The medical director identified lack of awareness as one of the major challenges limiting access to treatment, stressing that many affected women are unaware that free medical services exist in Benin.
“The major issue is that people are not aware of the existence of the hospital, where it is located and that the services are free. That is why we are partnering with journalists to spread the message,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration with the media, particularly the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to increase public awareness about the facility and encourage women suffering from the condition to seek treatment.
