This week, your favorite health informative show tackled spinal bifida, heroin, and colon cleansing. In the upcoming program, Susan Mwogeli will focus on fistula infections. This condition occurs in between a woman's birth passage and one or more of her internal organs. Fistulas are caused by prolonged labor, early childhood births, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and rape. A majority of women who develop fistulas are abandoned by their husbands and detested by their communities because of their inability to have children and their foul smell.
An obstetric fistula can be closed with intravaginal surgery. If the surgery is performed by a skilled surgeon, a fistula patient has a good chance of returning to a normal life with full control of her bodily functions. However this is a challenge in Kenya because we have limited professional, highly skilled surgeons. On Monday 28 th June at 7.30pm watch Family Doctor and get to hear Sylvia's story as she battled this disease and how she got to overcome the scourge.
Medics advise that there is need for more awareness of this condition. Many doctors have called out for more initiatives that will help sensitize women on the causes of fistulas and possible preventive measures. In response to this, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) will hold a free medical camp on 25 th June 2010 from 8:30am. Join Grace Kae and the Family Doctor crew on Monday 7:30pm only on Family TV for more information on fistulas.
