COVID 19: VVF Patients in Tears over Delay in Repairs
By Amina Ahmed
In what can be described as heart wrenching, some patients of Visco Viginal fistjla(VVF) were left in tears, trauma and feeling rejected as urine flow, associated with VVF illness, and kept flowing persistently.
To them accessing Medical attention became a nightmare and life threatening by the day as the novel coronavirus pandemic distance them from their chances of treatment.
The delay in accessing healthcare was attributed to the partial lockdown, hike in transport fare among others.
Speaking to some VVF patients from Ganjuwa,Mrs Aisha Mohammed said that the delay has caused more trauma.
“Before the pandemic, I was not aware of the Ningi center.
“It was around February that someone told me about the center and before I got financial support for the treatment, OVID 19 set in and the drivers refused to travel for fear of lockdown.
“I felt bad and traumatised because I had a place to go for treatment yet there was no way to move access care due to restrictions of movement, occasioned by lockdown.
Mrs Fatima Inuwa from Burra, Ningi local government said that the Covid-19 has made her unable to access services due to global fear of pandemic.
“Even with the face mask, physical distancing in commercial vehicles and the hike in price.
“Coming for the first time, my family developed fear over the cost of transportation and treatment, not knowing that the treatment and feeding was free.
The National Obstetric and Fistula Center(NOFC),Ningi says that Novel coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic delayed routine repairs for Women suffering from viscoviginal fistula(VVF) in Bauchi state.
Vesico vaginal fistula (VVF)is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder and the vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault, mostly caused by prolonged labour.
Speaking,the Director clinical services of the center, Dr Lamara Dattijo said that the weekly exercise recorded zero number of repairs due to lockdown, hike in the prices on consumables and inadequate personal protection equipment(PPE).
He said from the month of March to July the center has either 1 or zero repairs.
Dattijo said that in the month of October 2020 the center had to conducted repairs for the health wellbeing of the patients.
Dattijo said that in the first quarter of 2021, there was zero surgery due to the pandemic.
“From February to March there were no clinical services because patients can no longer move.
“The sudden demand for PPE made prices go high.
“That also affected the facility because we have zero IGR and treatment and feeding is free.
“We later had to organise training for health personnel on guidelines for COVID 19.
“In October, we had 38 repairs because of the first quarter record.
Speaking the Gender analyst,United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Bauchi State Coordinator ,Ms. Deborah Tabara said that UNFPA has supported Vesico Virginal Fistular (VVF) Center Ningi and General Hospital Gamawa with Personal Protection Equipment during COVID 19 for service delivery to patients alongside training of Health workers on adherence to Covid 19 prevention guidelines.
This article is part of Covid-19 Response under Together For Reliable Information Project, Implemented by PAGED Initiative and supported by the EU& Free Press Unlimited.