RESTORING DIGNITY TO WOMEN

Women living with fistula benefit from free surgeries at KNH during week-long VVF camp

By Winfred Gumbo and Philip Etyang

Over 45 women living with Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) underwent corrective surgery at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

The hospital in partnership with various stakeholders including Safaricom M-PESA Foundation, Flying Doctors’ Society of Africa, Amref Health Africa, and Royal Media Services offered free corrective surgeries and medical advice during the week-long camp (14th-18th November, 2022).

VVF is a distressing condition in which abnormal communication develops between the bladder and vagina, leading to urinary incontinence. This condition occurs most commonly after obstetrical and gynecological injury.

Speaking during a partnership meeting held on Thursday 17th November aimed at visiting the patients, KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri, EBS thanked the team for the kind gesture in the work they are doing to Kenyans by helping restore dignity to women.

“Fistula is an embarrassing condition. After the surgeries are done, the women are easily reabsorbed back to the society. We are happy when we put a smile on the faces of our patients,” said Dr Kamuri.

Safaricom M-PESA Foundation Chairman, Mr. Joe Ogutu said that the foundation puts emphasis on partnerships and thanked KNH management for offering the facility and equipment to allow the camp take place.

“We as a foundation are happy to restore dignity to women. I thank KNH management for offering the facility and equipment,” said Mr. Ogutu.

KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri, EBS during a meeting with partners and sponsors of this year’s VVF camp at the KNH boardroom on Thursday 17th of November, 2022.

PHOTO | STEVE ARWA

“Before we started the camp, we screened 133 women, 45 were admitted, 37 of them were offered physiotherapy and so far 30 women have undergone surgery and are recovering well,” said Dr. Weston Khisa, MBS, the Chairman VVF Committee. “The important thing is any woman who suffers from Vesicovaginal fistula should undergo treatment. The operation does a good job in ensuring women can go back to society and function normally,” he added.

Dr Khisa also revealed that KNH has recorded very good success rates of over 90% on all VVF corrective surgeries.

After the meeting, the team paid a visit to patients who had already undergone the surgery.

While in the wards, Ms. Ruth Njoki Kuria, a 53-year-old woman from Kiambu County who underwent successful corrective surgery revealed that she had suffered from the condition for over a year before KNH came to her rescue.

“Nilidhani sitapona. Ningependa kushukuru sana KNH na Safaricom kwa kunisaidia. Nikona stage one cancer na nimekuwa nikienda Kenyatta University Referral Hospital kupata radiology. Huko ndio waliniandikia barua ya kukuja Kenyatta kupata matibabu ya Fistula,” (“I thought I would never get well. I am very grateful to Safaricom and KNH for the treatment. I have stage one cancer and I have been undergoing radiology at Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital. They are the ones who referred me to KNH for the VVF camp free treatment),”she said. 46-year-old Ms. Margaret Njeri Kanja from Kandara in Muranga County who also underwent successful corrective surgery during the camp said she got to know about it from Inooro FM and immediately packed her bags. She is very grateful to KNH and the partners for the free corrective surgery.

“I got to know about the camp through Inooro FM while at home. I immediately packed my bags and came to KNH. I did not pay even a cent for the surgery. I am very grateful for the excellent service. I must write a positive comment on how I have been treated here since arrival last week Thursday,” she said.

Estimates indicate that at least 3,000 women develop VVF annually in Kenya alone. However, the grim picture in reality is that there are over 300,000 women in the country who have untreated VVF. Globally, statistics indicate that there are 2 million women living with the condition.

VVF is largely associated with women but also affects the male population. Urinary Fistula is a condition that affects men and is brought about largely through Sexually Transmitted Infections which if untreated for an extended time may destroy tissues.

Corrective surgery is the only treatment available for VVF. Very few medical facilities in the country are able to perform the surgery because of the limited number of trained surgeons able to conduct the delicate operation. However, Kenya’s biggest referral hospital, KNH, has the ability to handle VVF treatment. The Hospital has a well-trained team of professionals from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department.

The success of this year’s camp was made possible by a multidisciplinary Committee led by Dr. Khisa who was deputized by Dr. Stephen Mutiso, a Gynaecologist and VVF surgeon.

Since 2014, the VVF partnership has led to over 1,000 successful surgeries being carried out at KNH during the annual camp alone. For this year, a total of 46 successful surgeries were done. Newsline wishes the women a quick recovery.

A VVF patient is wheeled into theatre at KNH for corrective surgery.

PHOTO | STEVE ARWA

Dr. Stephen Mutiso, Gynaecologist and VVF Surgeon KNH, Dr. Weston Khisa, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Senior Nursing Officer at theatre Clinic 66, Pamela Kerubo and Fistula surgery lead, KNH and Dr. Lado Ismael, Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and VVF Surgeon from Garissa Referral Hospital.

PHOTO | STEVE ARWA