Dr Richard writes…
Grace, a lady in her late thirties, went into labour with fourth child. Went to health centre and diagnosed obstructed labour (baby could not get out). Went to hospital and had caesarian section but too late (happens commonly) and baby was stillborn and there was much damage to her pelvic organs. Went to Mulago hospital…in for two weeks …no treatment. Went to another hospital diagnosed fistulae (new passages between bowel and vagina) and bowel and abdominal scar. In other words bowel contents coming out from the wrong places… This hospital kept her for two weeks but no surgery.
A VSO colleague brought her to Hope Ward 6 weeks after birth. She was discharged yesterday in full working order thanks to Hope Ward and Dr Moses after another 4 weeks in hospital. We were able to get her really fit with blood transfusions and feeding for long and complex surgery.
The picture is of her and her sister just before discharge.
There are 100,000 women with this complication of obstructed labour in Uganda…often known as VVF…Vesico vaginal fistula…damage to bowel causes connection to bladder and vagina. What an awful condition and so easily preventable.
For some reason of all the patients we have treated on Hope Ward this lady’s outcome pleased me more than any!
