100 women undergo fistula operations in Borno
100 women with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), had successful operation as the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and the Borno State Government flagged off Free Fistula Repair Campaign Project (FFRCP) in Maiduguri yesterday.
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The wife of the Borno State Governor, Dr. Falmata Zulum, flagged off the ceremony at the Conference Hall, State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.
Zulum, who was represented by Commissioner for Health, Mrs. Juliana Bitrus, thanked the NEDC and other development partners for complimenting the efforts of the Borno State Government towards the provision of health care services to its people.
Bitrus said the women had their Fistula repairs in successful corrective surgeries at the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri at the flag-off flagged off a Free Fistula Repair Campaign Project in Maiduguri.
She stated, “This intervention is timely, as most women who are vulnerable due to activities of insurgency and the persistent poverty, which have caused a lot of women to fall victims to VVF, would benefit from the corrective surgery project.”
She appealed to the beneficiaries to stay away from sex in the next one year to enable them to have total healing.
The NEDC Board Chairman, Major General Paul Tarfa (retd.), who was represented by the Board member North-West zone, Hajiya Asmau Muhammadu said: “Statistics indicate that there are about 250,000 women awaiting repair in Nigeria, out of which only 3,000 are fortunate to be attended to annually.
“12,000 new cases develop every year with a large number coming from the North-East due to the insecurity and increased poverty, which further hindered access to health care.”
“It is, therefore, important that all efforts are made to bring succour to these vulnerable group of women to enable them to pick the pieces of their lives, by offering them a new lease for meaningful existence within their respective communities,” he stated.
Tarfa went on to note that it was unfortunate that women who experienced obstetric fistula suffer dejection from members of society.
Martha M/Punch
