One day Fistula Camp was organized by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Nusrat Shah at Sheikh Zaid Women's Hospital in collaboration with Dr. Shershah Syed, a renowned gynaecologist and fistula surgeon of Pakistan. Six women with complicated fistula were successfully operated upon. On this occasion, Dr Shershah said fistula is a disease of poverty and underage marriages. During childbirth, due to small pelvic bones, head of the baby gets stuck, the baby usually dies and pressure of head makes a hole in the bladder or rectum. This results in fistula with leakage of urine and faeces which makes them outcasts in society due to the constant smell. Koohi goth hospital provides free treatment for such patients coming from all over Pakistan and restores their health and dignity. Dr Shershah said he has been passionately working to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity and started midwifery training in Koohi Goth Hospital Karachi to produce midwives for managing normal delivery. He said this would improve normal delivery rates, reduce the rate of caesarean delivery and also prevent fistula.
Dr Shershah further said a separate fistula ward and OT was developed by WHO at Shaikh Zaid hospital by the order of Supreme Court. He said, that ward is no longer here but there’s a dire need to dedicate a separate space for fistula patients at SZH, Larkana which will also comply with orders of Supreme Court.
The Vice-Chancellor of Smbbmu Prof. Dr. Nusrat Shah said that fistula is a treatable disease, women suffering from fistula are abandoned by the family and society. She said illiteracy is the main cause as millions of girls are out of school or are pulled out at the time of puberty and married off. These little girls are still growing up but as soon as they are married they are expected to bear a child every year with no access to family planning, thus putting them at high risk of developing fistula. She said Sindh is the only province with a law on underage marriage but we must improve the implementation. She said she has requested Dr Shershah to sign MoU between Koohi Goth hospital and Smbbmu to provide support for the university to start a midwifery program.
Prof Fouzia Kashif, Prof Shahida Magsi, Prof Shabnam Shaikh, Dr. Dayali Gul, and Dr. Fauzia Chandio were also present on this occasion.
