Kaduna earmarks N50m for treatment of VVF patients

The Kaduna state government has set aside N50 million for the treatment of Vesico Vaginal Fistula(VVF) patients.

VVF is a hole that develops between the vagina and the bladder, resulting in uncontrollable leaking of urine through the vagina.

Hafsat Baba, the state’s commissioner of human services and social development, who disclosed this at a high-level conference on obstetric fistula, said the money which will be taken from the 2020 budget, is to cater to the patient’s health needs, provide food and skills for them when they get healed.

Baba said despite the about 12,000 recorded cases of the disease in the state, there is just one ward at the Gambo Sawaba hospital that treats VVF cases.

She added that the centre can only treat 200 patients annually in spite of the high number of cases.

Hafsat said the state government is “meticulous” in treating VVF patients as they are being treated in stages.

“In the first phase, patients are hospitalized for at least three weeks and they go through psycho-social aid process, which includes nutrition and counselling. The procedure stage is when surgery or repair is conducted on the patients. The third stage is when patients go through rehabilitation process,” she said .

The commissioner said skills and training are offered to the patients after healing and starter packs are issued to them afterwards to integrate them into the society.

Nasir el Rufai, governor of the state, said the main objective of his administration is the prevention of new cases of VVF from occurring, combating the huge backlog in fistula repairs and reducing the number of women requiring fistula repair in the state by 98%  by 2022.

Represented by Amina Mohammed-Baloni, the state commissioner of health, the governor commended Fifth Chucker Polo and Country Club for its partnership with the government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to eradicate fistula from Kaduna.

“By working together, the government, the private sector and development partners can unleash innovative ways of mobilizing the requisite ideas, expertise and resources and create shared accountability to tackle and end obstetric fistula in Kaduna state,” el-Rufai was quoted to have said.

Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, el-Rufai’s chief of staff, promised that the state will provide N4.5 million for 100 fistula repair surgeries; N2.5 million for the socio-economic rehabilitation of 25 indigent patients, support the recruitment of 10 vocational skills instructors at VVF rehabilitation unit at General Hospital Zaria and train six additional health workers on the management of obstetric fistula, including two surgeons.

Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club gave a donation of N5 million to the cause with a promise that it will give the amount yearly for the next ten years.