In God Is Our Health,In God Is Our Help
TREATMENT OF OBSTETRIC FISTULA
The main stay of treatment for women with obstetrics fistula is surgery. This is usually performedby a team of urogynecologist with fistula nurse. The post-surgery period will typically last between 14 to 21 days depending on the type of repair and the route of repair.
The cost of surgery is supposed to be borne by these patients but considering the socioeconomic situations of the victims of obstetrics fistula, it’s difficult for them to mobilize funds for the repair and for their post-operative care including feeding, medications, laboratory work up and consumables.
The cost of surgery for obstetrics fistula repair is GHC 4005.00 or $ 700, this includes the cost of transport fares to convey them to the treatment Centre, preoperative work up including labs(liver and renal function test, HIV and hepatitis b statues, urine examination), treatment of chronicdiseases condition, cost of the repair itself, post-operative care and transport back to their various destinations with some financial support to start a trade.
BARRIERS TO TREATMENT
Many of these women are not able to assess health care due to:
Superstition: some women have the notion that there is no cure for fistula; secondly, there are those who feel they have been destined to have it so no need looking for cure. A few of them also think they have been cursed.
Poverty: most of these women cannot afford the cost of the surgery because they are unemployed and they don’t have any social support system to assist them.
Health system:Health practitioners not enquiring about women who have this problem coupled with inadequate fistula repair surgeon and inadequate treatment centers
OUR FISTULA UNIT
It has a forty – five bed capacity ward with a spacious Out Patients Department (OPD), a laboratory, consulting and examination rooms, pharmacy etc.
The unit receives team of specialists from Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra and occationally from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi every quarter in a year for repairs.
The unit’s theatre has a two bed operating tables, recovery and changing rooms for both males and females. There is a complete patient’s relatives’ hostel which serves as an accommodation facility and a pre – admission facility for patients affected with fistula at the unit.
The hospital is hoping to furnish the rooms marked for sewing and catering centres for the rehabilitation and integration of repaired clients also at the unit.
MERCY WOMEN’S CATHOLIC HOSPITAL –OBSTETRICS FISTULA CENTER
The Mercy Women’s Catholic Hospital- Obstetrics Fistula Unit was set up in 2009 by the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast to cater for women in the country and beyond who suffer from this deplorable condition of constant leakage of urine and or fecal matter.
The unit has a 45-bed capacity ward which is the largest obstetrics fistula center in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a theater, recovery ward, outpatient department, and a patient relatives home.
The center gets patients as referrals from other facilities, it has an outreach team that organizes outreach programs to the villages and sub districts looking for clients with the disease and a repair team that comprises of surgeons, fistula nurses and other paramedics who all together provide a comprehensive care for these patients.
Since its inception, the center has repaired 600 cases at no cost to the patients. The success rate of the repair has been ≈ 80%.
The center relies on contributions from benevolent societies, individuals, philanthropists and NGOs to raise money to take care of the cost of the surgery.
Contributions are welcomed from individuals and corporate organizations. This can be monetary, consumables or any other that will help us bring care to the patients.
The center has been assisted in diverse by some individuals and institutions that have been very helpful over the years in recruiting patients and providing funding for the fistula repairs. You can also be a part of this life changing interventions by donating to support the recruitment and repair of obstetrics fistula patients.
LIST OF SPONSORS OF MERCY WOMEN’S CATHOLIC HOSPITAL OBSTERTRIC FISTULA CENTRE
1 | Madam Helena Stephens (CEO) KaysenGaisie Group Limited,Tema. Tel: 0303211984 | 7 | The Ambassadors Wives Association Accra, |
2 | Access Bank (GH) limited Head Office,P. O. Box GP 353, Osu, Accra Starlet ‘91’ Tel: 0266276680 / 0244260880 | 8 | C/o Mr Gail Grant Students of the Institut le Rosey Tel: +41762941020, Switzerland. Naitarg3@gmail.com |
3 | The Rebecca Foundation Accra,Tel: 0262640001 | 9 | Vodafone Ghana Limited, Head Office, PMB AN 221. Circle, Accra |
4 | Dr Catherine Huza Agnes Varis Foundation, USA | 10 | C/o Multimedia Group Ghana AdomNkwa Na 3hia Crew. Trust Towers, Farrar Avenue Asylum Down |
5 | Cardinal Turkson Health & Education Foundation, Accra | 11 | P. O. Box GP 17202. Accra, Ghana C/o DrKwakuBoakye Gold Coast Medical Group. Tel: 0019177435141 |
6 | C/o MrTonnieBaffoe Knights and Ladies of Marshall LondonTel: 0244342342 | 12 | Nana AmaAmissah Queen Mother of Mankessim Traditional Area Tel: 0208142108 |
13 | Tema club 0303 |
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DO YOU HAVE A FISTULA OR KNOW SOME ONE WHO YOU SUSPECT HAS A FISTULA, PLEASE CALL ANY OF THESE NUMBERS IMMEDIATELY FOR ASSISTANCE. 0209960053/0501290035/0244030525
ALL DONOTIONS CAN BE MADE INTO THE FOLLOWING ACCONTS FOR FISTULA REPAIR
BANK: GCB
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3091010021931
ACCOUNT NAME: FISTULA ACCOUNTS