National Desk :
Experts at an orientation meeting on Monday stressed creating social awareness for early identification of obstetric fistula patients to bring them under cost-free treatment for their recovery and rehabilitation.
The field-level health and family officials and employees should come forward and work together to bring obstetric fistula patients under treatment and rehabilitation support to ensure their normal lives from long-lasting suffering, reports BSS.
They came up with the observation at the event on ‘Obstetric fistula patient identification’ organised by the Upazila Family Planning Department office at Fulbari Upazila Health Complex in Fulbari upazila of Kurigram district. The event was arranged with the technical assistance of UNFPA Bangladesh under the Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child-Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH) project being implemented by LAMB to eliminate obstetric fistula from Fulbari upazila. Assistant Director of the Family Planning Clinical Contraception Quality Improvement Services (FPCQIT) of Kurigram Dr. Md. Manzur Rahman attended the event as the chief guest with Fulbari Upazila Family Planning Officer Md. Anwar Hossain is in the chair.
Medical Officer (Maternal and Child Health-Family Planning) Dr. Ferdousi Khatun was present as a special guest.
At the event, District Facilitator (LAMB) Manju Ara Begum oriented everyone present about fistula disease. She said that it is important to identify fistula patients quickly and ensure proper treatment.
District Family Planning Facilitator Md. Asaduzzaman Sarkar highlighted the importance of fistula disease and informed them about the plan to work actively at the field level to eliminate the curable disease.
LAMB Monitoring and Documentation Coordinator Md. Abu Ibn Al Asad discussed the importance of the SRMNCAH project.
In his speech, the chief guest said, “Although fistula is a neglected disease, it is possible to eradicate the disease through working unitedly at the field level.”
Md. Anwar Hossain urged the field level workers to be more diligent in detecting obstetric fistula patients for their referral, treatment and rehabilitation.
Dr. Ferdousi Khatun said, “The fistula patients identified initially will be referred to the government hospital or LAMB Hospital for advanced treatment after confirming through tests at the field level.”
The upazila level health and family planning officers and employees including Sub Assistant Community Medical Officers, Pharmacists, Family Planning Inspectors, Family Welfare Visitors and Family Welfare Service providers were present.
The participants pledged to work from a humanitarian perspective in identifying fistula patients and assured their overall cooperation in eliminating obstetric fistula from Fulbari upazila.
