Kitovu's fistula fighter Sister Maura dead

Dec 13, 2017

Fistula is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder and the vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault.

Sister Dr. Maura Lynch

Sister Dr. Maura Lynch of Kitovu Hospital in Masaka is dead. She has been very instrumental in the fight against fistula.

She has been a pillar in fundraising and treatment of women suffering from fistula. In 2005, New Vision contributed to the cause.

Fistula is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder and the vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault.

St. Joseph's Hospital Kitovu, is located in Masaka town, Uganda, about 140km from the capital Kampala.

 
Below is what she writes about her role in fight against fistula published by the Clinical times.

I went to Nigeria to Dr Ann Ward, FRCOG, in Anua MMM Hospital, to train in fistula-repair surgery before going to Uganda in 1993. Kitovu Hospital has provided fistula-repair services since then.

I have welcomed surgeons and gynaecologists from the UK to Kitovu two-to-four times a year to undertake fistula-repair sessions. Some 30-40 women attended each time, but they had to find some funds to cover expenses because they were poor.

To help them, through funds from generous friends in the UK and Ireland, I helped to build a special unit. Since 2004, Kitovu has been recognised as the first Fistula Repair and Training Unit in East Africa sponsored by USAID, UNFPA, plus friends of Kitovu and supported by the ministry of Health in Uganda.

Over 1,300 fistulae have been repaired successfully, rendering these poor women dry and continent and with restored dignity and self-esteem. Many also have been successful in having a safe delivery (by Caesarean section) and live births after repair.

Since 2007, Africara Ireland has offered to help with fistula repair and prevention in Kitovu, and fundraising in Ireland has been successful in building a fistula operating theatre in Kitovu Hospital specially dedicated to fistula work, which was blessed and opened on November 22 last year.

Already, 120 successful repair operations have taken place in the new theatre. Now Africara is helping to fully equip the new theatre and we hope to increase our fistula repair to 1,000 repairs annually, on a more continual basis.

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