‘A fistula is an abnormal opening between two organs that should not be connected. For example in the reproductive tract, one type of fistula is a recto-vaginal fistula. This is where an opening forms between the vagina and the rectum, causing gas and stool to be released through the vagina. Rectovaginal fistulas can be a complication of, among other things, prolonged, obstructed labor. They can be devastating to a woman's psychological health. Fistulas are more of a problem in the developing world, as they can often be avoided or repaired surgically with access to good medical care.’ By Elizabeth Boskey, Ph.D., About.com Guide
The Surgical team, comprising of four surgeons, comes twice a year to assist the local team in cases that are delicate and complicated to handle on their own. Based on our observations, both the local and the foreign professionals are doing very well on clearing the backlog of fistula cases in Eritrea. The delegation started visiting the operation room where a woman with six centimetre wide recto-vaginal fistula was being operated. To witness the impact, the team continued to see those women who were recovering. One of them was a 19 year old woman from Zoba Anseba, who was playing happily with her baby. She told us that she was referred from Keren Hospital after she lost one of her twins due to prolonged labour and long distance to reach the hospital. At present she was waiting to recover from the surgery to go back to her normal life. The team’s observation from the recovery room was that the majority were women married underage, who had undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and who had received information about the Mendefera Fistula hospital from the health clinics or through mass medias.
The Norwegian support for this cooperation is planned to be completed by the end of 2011.