Nigeria is regarded as home to the largest fistula burden in the world. According to medical experts, VVF is a female genital disorder where a woman loses control of her bladder due to pregnancy and delivery complications. As a result, urinates uncontrollably through-out the day.
VVF is as old as mankind. According to history, the first VVF Hospital in the world was built in New York. Currently, it is said to be used as a 5-star hotel because the scourge has been eradicated following advancement in medicine and technology. In Africa, the first VVF centre was built in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the development of centres in Nigeria started about 30 to 35 years ago.
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Some people believe that VVF is a disorder found only among women and girls in Northern Nigeria following their custom of early pregnancy. But the surgical team debunked the notion that VVF is peculiar to only women in Northern Nigeria. They charged women in Southern Nigeria to take advantage of the free Fistula screening and surgical service that are intermittently organised by the team in Lagos to address their female genital disorders, such as VVF, RVF or obstetric fistula.
Sunday Lengmang: One of a Kind
Sunday Lengmang is considered one of the world’s leading fistula surgeons. He is the only doctor in Nigeria that performs urinary diversions—surgeries for women whose fistulas are so severe, they would otherwise be considered “incurable.” Double emphasis should be placed on the words ‘Only Doctor’.
As a VVF specialist and a Master Surgeon at Evangel VVF Centre, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Dr. Sunday Lengmany, explained that the commonest cause of VVF was prolonged obstructed labour. Poverty, he also stated, is one of the reasons many women experiencing leakage of urine known as VVF or leakage of faeces (RVF) are not seeking medical attention.
In order to handle this malaise, Lengmang frequently mobilizes resources; both human and material to embark on outreaches to less privileged patients. Some of these outreaches span to weeks, where free surgeries and treatments of VVF Patients are conducted in communities and various local government. In addition to this, Lengmang and his team volunteer to train health workers, usually in the hundreds, who will be empowered to work in rural areas, communities and healthcare centres to help in curbing and preventing the problem of obstetric fistula.
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According to Lengmang, he explained that:
“VVF is avoidable because it is a case of complication during pregnancy and child birth. Pregnant women should register for antenatal care with a competent medical facility. Hospitals with competent doctors know what to do when a woman is experiencing prolonged labour. More so, early marriage should be avoided. Parents should discourage the marriage of their daughters below 18 years to avoid complication during childbirth. The best age in marriage is between 18 and 25,”
What’s more? Due to Lengmang’s expertise, skill and influence, over 19 VVF centres have been established in Nigeria and the national strategic framework for the eradication of Fistula has been recommended for every state. This implies that every state should have at least one VVF centre in order to curb the scourge.
A man who instead of obscurity opts for actions over words, Sunday Lengmang! Saying more is less.
Sources:
Fistulafoundation
The Sun NG
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