By PETER OKUTU, Abakaliki

IT was indeed a moment of joy and jubilation as the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, treated and discharged 25 more indigent women who had suffered obstetric fistula after many years of failed attempt to get medical solution.

The women came from different parts of the country and were treated free  following the established policy put in place by the wife of Ebonyi State Governor,  Mrs. Josephine Elechi at the commencement of the centre in 2008, before it was taken over in 2011 by the Federal Government as the first National Obstetric Fistula Centre in the country.

These women had before  coming to the centre suffered in the hands of medical quacks, spent huge sums of money in a bid to get quick treatment so that they could escape alienation from family members.

Most of them came to the centre with the hope of paying for the treatment but did not know that it would be carried out free as this was the high point of their testimonies when they were discharged last week at the centre.

In their separate testimonies, some of the women who spoke with Vanguard Features, VF, namely Mrs. Lydia Mgbabor from Cross River, Agwu Blessing from Enugu, Nwankwo Ijeoma from Ebonyi, expressed joy over the free treatment they had received at the centre adding that the initiative was laudable as it would ensure accelerated eradication of the scourge the country.

The National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Abakaliki, had since its inception in 2008 treated and discharged over 1600 indigent clients across 20 states of the federation.

Mrs.Elechi made this known during the visit of the Country Representative of United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, Mrs. Victoria Akyeampong and her team to the Centre in Abakaliki.

Mrs. Elechi who witnessed the discharge of 25 more clients explained that the Centre specialised in the provision of free treatment, training of medical and paramedical personnel, rehabilitation, research and prevention of Vaginal Fistula, VVF, among women.

“Since its inception, over 1600 indigent patients from over 20 states of the federation and over 195 clients with uterine prolapsed from the state have received free treatment in the centre and the capacity of several medical personnel have been enhanced during this period.

“Furthermore, over 2000 women have received free screening for cervical and breast cancer, while women with pre-malignant lesions have equally received free treatment and are on follow-up.

“My initiative is complementing the efforts of the state government in promoting maternal health and preventing the formation of new cases of obstetric fistula. There is the maternal mortality and morbidity law introduced by my initiative and passed into law.

The National Obstetric Fistula Centre in a bid to deliver more services to a greater number of sufferers of this scourge and in line with the Presidential mandate that one third of the VVF patients  be repaired in 2013, the centre has commenced the provision of free surgical repairs to the states of the southern and Middle Belt zones, beginning with the treatment of 21 patients from Delta State only recently”.

She added that the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, had declared that an estimated two to three million women and girls are living with fistula in Nigeria and other developing countries.The UNFPA was the first development partner to collaborate with Mrs.Elechi’s NGO, Mother and Child Care Initiative, MCCI, programme in 2008.

Speaking at the occasion,  Mrs. Akyeampong expressed delight at the giant strides recorded at the centre, courtesy of the existing partnership between UNFPA and MCCI.

“The prevalence of fistula therefore is an indication of underlying socio-economic factors such as gender inequality and poverty. To end fistula we need to work collectively to provide access to reproductive health services, eliminate gender based social and economic inequalities, prevent child marriage and early child bearing and keep our young girls in school”.

The Medical Director of the Centre, Dr. Sunday Oduoye, advised the discharged women to stay away from sexual intercourse for at least six months to give room for the proper healing of their bodies.