By Rodgers Omondi, Busia
Safaricom Foundation and Busia County government have partnered for the free fistula treatment camp with the aim of helping to restore the dignity of at least 100 women through surgeries and other treatment.
Speaking during the launch of the camp, Busia deputy governor Arthur Odero, who is also the CECM for health Arthur Odera expressed his pleasure on the large number of turnouts. He expressed that the fact that other people from neighboring counties are coming to Busia for treatment is a good gesture that fistula can be eradicated.
“The turnout is good and this will help in restoring the dignity of our women. We are proud that today someone who has stayed with the condition for 24 years has received treatment and her dignity has been restored. The youngest case has been a 7 years old girl who has had urine leakage since she was born but today, she has received treatment. As the county we’ve had 282 known cases and I know many will come during this camp.
The deputy governor highlighted Bunyala and Samia sub counties as the most affected areas in the county stating that they have rolled out measures that will help in controlling the situation.
“The most affected sub counties are Samia subcounty with 47 % of the known cases in the county and Bunyala following with 35% of the cases. We have taken an initiative of ensuring that our women give birth at the health center so that they can well be attended to. We are also intensifying the sensitization to the community with the aid of the local administration so that the community can understand the causes of fistula so that we prevent it.” He said.
Odera further noted that the treatment for Fistula will continue to be offered for free at Busia County Referral Hospital calling on those who will not manage to be attended during the camp to visit the facility anytime for treatment.
Safaricom Foundation chairman Joseph Ogutu said they have invested much in initiatives that will ensure that many women with fistula have received treatment in the country.
The Mpesa foundation has put aside ksh100 million to ensure that in the next one year we will be able to host the fistula camp to provide service to more than 700 women across counties in Kenya. It has also set aside Ksh 232 million over the next 3 years to ensure that women with this situation have received attention. This brings a total of 2000 women in three years who would have received attention with the aid of M-pesa Foundation.” He said.
Ogutu said there is a need to invest much in prevention for the country to be able to eradicate the disease by the year 2030. He added that they have a program that is aiming at ensuring there is no death during giving birth.
“To achieve this, we have started a program known as Uzazi salama. This program is helping in ensuring that all women wherever they are have a facility where they can have safe delivery to prevent them from getting fistula. The program in partnership with the county governments, we want to ensure that women does not die during giving birth” he said
Martha Wareith, Trustee Flying doctors Africa stated that the turnout has exceeded their expectation, lauding the county government for its effort on ensuring there is a permanent doctor at the hospital to attend to women with fistula problems.
“We are targeting 700 surgeries between now and next year. Our target in Busia was 60 surgeries but due to the number of those coming, we are going to get to 100. Let all these conditions come out so that we can bring back the dignity of our mother and be able to eradicate Fistula by 2030.
Busia county commissioner Chaunga Mwachaunga said that the camp will benefit everyone regardless of the nationality stating that health matters know no borders.
“We understand that we are at the broader point but when it comes to health, there is no nationality issue. Everyone who comes will be attended to and that’s why we are calling for everyone affected to come out to be helped.” He said
The commissioner urged the members of the public to seek medical attention and refrain from beliefs that fistula is a result of witchcraft. He called the media fraternity to help in playing a bigger role in sensitizing the members of the public about fistula and where they can get help.
