The National Obstetric Fistula Center, NOFIC in Ebonyi State Southeast Nigeria has entered into partnership with the Nigeria Union of Journalists Ebonyi State Chapter to fight against VesicoVagina fistula VVF disease, cancer and other ailments which affect women, men and Children in the State and Nigeria at large.
The Medical Director of NOFIC, Professor Johnson Obunna stated this during a courtesy visit by members of Correspondents Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Abakaliki the State Capital.
Professor Obunna expressed joy over the visit and thanked Journalists for their relentless efforts to ensure that they speak for the masses.
“I must commend all of you for the enormous work you are doing in the society, When I was the Chairman Nigeria Medical Association of Ebonyi State, we declared strike to press home our demands, I must assure you, it was the Press that made Government to harken to our demands through their various publication”. Obunna explained.
The Medical Director urged the Journalists to continue in their good works of balanced new reportage.
He said apart from the primary role of NOFIC which is to repair women of fistula, the hospital also engages in other ancillary services like screening of breast cancer, maternity among other services.
How Women Get Fistula
Obunna said “in most cases, these women developed VVF because of financial constraints to access hospital, hence the fistula. Some are as a result of being handled by quacks during delivery while some are due to early engagement of sexual intercourse before the right stage. There are some of these women that after repair, they get pregnant but go back to deliver in the hands of quacks, by so doing, they will develop another fistula.
“Our maternity services is of good help to the women who have fistula and they got pregnant, when they come, we do caesarean section for them free of charge. we have done 94 caesarean section and then 299 deliveries. There was a 16 year old girl that got pregnant and we did her surgery free. That girl if she had delivered elsewhere, she would have had fistula.
Gender Based Violence
“we started gender-based violence unit and we built a brand new bungalow for that. Since we started, we have handled 55 cases of gender-based violence cutting across rape, Female Genital Mutulation FGM, economic and physical abuse,” he stated.
Cancer Screening
“we have screened about 21,209 cervical and breast cancer patients and 1,273 prostate cancer patients. We have also treated about 513 cervical cancer, 438 breast cancer, 43 prostate cancers, we have repaired about 3,063 fistula patents. In terms of prostate surgery, we have handled about 849. We have screened 868 cases in mammogram services and we have rehabilitated 486 fistula patients,” Obunna explained.
Moreso, the Medical Director urged all the wealthy Individuals in the society to compliment the Nigeria Government in ensuring that women are givven the best Medical attention.
He thanked those who have contributed in one way or the other in support of the hospital.
Confidence Okwuchi
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