Opening of a operating theatre for obstetric fistula in Sierra Leone
A new obstetric fistula theatre at Bo Government Hospital was officially opened on 19 July. The refurbishments for the operating theatre are a part of an Iceland government funded five-year programme on eliminating obstetric fistula in Sierra Leone. The programme is being implemented by The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone in collaboration with other partners.
The operating theatre will allow Bo Government Hospital to scale up its treatment for women suffering from obstetric fistula, in addition to increasing its capacity to perform other surgical procedures such as caesarean sections. Before the opening of the operating theatre women from Bo and neighbouring districts had to travel to Freetown to receive appropriate treatment.
“The opening of the new operating theatre in Bo marks an important milestone and it will have a lasting impact on the lives of many women and families in Sierra Leone. Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious and tragic childbirth injuries for young girls and women in developing countries and a neglected gender equality issue that has the most adverse effects on the poorest and most vulnerable women and girls. Iceland has been a firm supporter of the Global Campaign to End Fistula for more than a decade and it will continue its support,” says Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Obstetric fistula is caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without access to timely, high-quality medical treatment. A hole between the birth canal and bladder and/or rectum forms which leaves women leaking urine, faeces or both, and often leads to chronic medical problems, depression, social isolation and deepening poverty. The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of Sierra Leone’s healthcare system to improve adolescent girls’ and women’s access to integrated sexual and reproductive health services for prevention, treatment and social reintegration of obstetric fistula in addition to awareness-raising activities.
During the opening ceremony fistula survivor Ferreh Musu Marrah told her story. At the age of 16 her pregnancy led to a prolonged obstructed labour that led to her developing obstetric fistula, which had devastating physical and psychological impact on her. She began leaking urine and faeces and her mental health deteriorated to the state that she considered suicide. With the support of her mother, she was able to receive the proper medical care she needed in addition to receive training in tailoring, soap making, and needlework. Today she has fully recovered and is committed to raise awareness about obstetric fistula and support women suffering from it.
Kjartan Atli Óskarsson, an official from the Embassy of Iceland in Freetown, gave an address during the opening ceremony. During his address he paid tribute to all fistula survivors and stressed that that the bravery and determination showed by women like Marrah was an inspiration to the Government of Iceland and showed the importance of supporting programmes that seek to improve maternal health and restore dignity to women affected by obstetric fistula. Kjartan also emphasised that gender equality and human rights are priorities in Iceland’s development cooperation and that Iceland´s support to fighting fistula is closely aligned with these priorities. He urged other stakeholders to join in and support initiatives aimed at prioritizing women’s health and empowerment.