Gov’s wife conducts 206 free VVF surgeries

The Wife of the Niger State Governor, Dr. Amina Sani Bello has conducted free surgeries for 250 women with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) in the last three years.

117 of the surgeries was done in collaboration with Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) at the Umar Musa Yaradu Specialist Hospital, Sabon Wuse, 30 at the Umaru Sanda Ndayako General Hospital Bida, 49 at the Kontagora General Hospital and 10 at the Jummai Babangida Women and Children Hospital Minna.

Bello disclosed this at the Kontagora General, Hospital during the commencement of free surgery for 50 women with VVF.

“We do a VVF camp every quarter, where we get women who have the problem and bring them here and do the surgery for free. So far we have done a total of 206 from the time we first started and we are hoping to add another 50 this time around. We are not doing this on our own as we are in collaboration with Sani Bello foundation and Mainstream Foundation,” she added

The Governor’s Wife explained that VVF is not necessarily caused by only early marriage but also by obstructed labour and refusal to deliver in hospitals by women of any age where medical professionals take the deliveries and attend to the women when there are complications. 

She said the women were usually operated on by herself and fistula surgeons from Kano and Katsina, adding that it cost an average of N150, 000 to operate and rehabilitate one patient.

She advised women to seek the services of skilled birth attendants during pregnancy to eradicate the disease.

“It can be eradicated if every woman who is pregnant and in labour has skilled people attending to her. Most of the people who have VVF had it because of obstructed or prolonged labour and in such a situation only skilled person will know what to do,” she said

Bello then decried the increasing level of stigmatistion against women suffering from VVF adding that it was hindering a lot of them from coming out to seek treatment.

“One of the biggest challenge we are having is that we are not able to access a lot of these women suffering from the ailment. A lot of them are hiding because of the stigma, so getting them to come out is really tough.”