Hoima medics worried about rising fistula cases
Feb 01, 2024
Bwaga noted that 4% of the women in Bunyoro are suffering from fistula attributed to early pregnancies among young girls.
Ibrahim Bwaga said during the interview that TBA are the major causes of the Obstetric Fistula. (Photos by Abaanabasazi)
Peter Abaanabasazi
Journalist @New Vision
_______________________ These are some of the women who turned up for the free mdical camp
Health workers at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital have expressed worry over the increasing cases of obstetric fistula, especially among young mothers.
Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious and tragic childbirth injuries. Fistula surgery is a medical procedure performed to treat a fistula, which is an abnormal connection or passageway between two organs or vessels that typically do not connect. Fistulas can occur in various parts of the body, such as the digestive tract, urinary system, or reproductive organs.
It leaves women and girls leaking urine, faeces, or both, and often leads to chronic medical problems, depression, social isolation, and deepening poverty according to medics.
Speaking to New Vision Online in an interview on Saturday at the closure of a free medical camp of reconstructive surgery for women suffering from fistula, which took place at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, Dr Ibrahim Bwaga, the Hoima Regional Referral Hospital obstetrics/gynaecologist, said Bunyoro has the highest number of fistula cases compared to other regions.
He noted that 4% of the women in Bunyoro are suffering from fistula attributed to early pregnancies among young girls.
Traditional birth attendants faulted
Bwaga added that traditional birth attendants keep mothers under their care and send the expectant mothers to a health facility only when it is too late.
He added that some districts do not have health facilities capable of carrying out surgeries (C-Section), which causes mothers to move long distances, which exposes the mothers to the condition.
He noted that there were also big numbers of teenagers suffering from fistula complications and blamed this on early pregnancy.
“Early pregnancy also causes fistula. So, with this challenge, I call upon parents to keep children in schools so that they can choose to get married when they are ready and also advise them advice against early marriage and sex because their pelvis is still narrow at 17 years of age,” he said.
About the medical camp
Bwaga said the medical camp was organised by the health ministry with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
He noted that the operation which started on Tuesday, added that the medical camp was targeting 30 women but registered 42 patients.
According to Bwaga, only two mothers did not undergo the surgery because their condition was complex and the treatment needed for them was unavailable.
Bwaga noted that during the surgeries, they also worked on women with birth injuries and uterine prolapse complications. Uterine prolapse occurs when weakened or damaged muscles and connective tissues such as ligaments allow the uterus to drop into the vagina”
He commended the funders of the camp saying that the surgical camp comes at the right time as many women are suffering from the complication.
Bwaga, however, challenged expectant mothers to always avoid delivering in the village and also to go to the health facilities in time to avoid such birth-related complications.
He also advised mothers and fathers to always prepare once a mother gets pregnant and also advised parents not ready to produce to use family planning.
Satonio Kyalisima, one of the beneficiaries of the camp from Kagadi district, commended the organisers and the funders of the camp saying she got the complication four months ago and visited Kagadi Hospital but she could not be assisted.
She noted that she was happy that the surgery has made her regain her dignity and explained that she had lost hope because of leaking urine and faeces
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