City Desk :
Experts at an advocacy meeting have sought an effective role of mass media to create public awareness for identifying obstetric fistula patients to bring them under cost-free treatment facilities. Nilphamari Press Club organised the advocacy meeting with 30 representatives of electronic and print media on ‘End obstetric fistula in Nilphamari district’ at a local community center in Nilphamari on the ninth instant. LAMB Hospital at Parbatipur in Dinajpur extended technical support in arranging the event under the UNFPA Bangladesh funded Elimination of Genital Fistula by Capturing, Treating, Rehabilitating and Reintegrating in Bangladesh (FRRei) project, reports BSS.
Presided over by Vice-President of Nilphamari Press Club Hakim Mostafizur Rahman Sabuz, Medical Officer of Nilphamari Sadar Upazila Health Complex Dr. Hafez Mohammad Mominur Rahman attended the event as the chief guest.
Program Manager of LAMB Mahatab Liton delivered a PowerPoint presentation narrating the overall LAMB activities in the event.
Deputy Project Manager of the FRRei project Dr. Tahmina Khatun Sonia presented a keynote paper on ‘Obstetric fistula, fistula patient identification, treatment and rehabilitation’ giving a summary of the fistula situation and fistula elimination activities.
District Coordinator of the FRRei project Monju Ara Begum and participating journalists from the print and electronic media also spoke.
Dr. Tahmina discussed causes behind the intolerable but preventable disease, available cost-free treatment facilities and ongoing activities for rehabilitation of obstetric fistula patients in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions.
She discussed services being provided to fistula patients by LAMB Hospital, different medical college hospitals, district and upazila level hospitals, union level health service providing facilities in identifying and referral of fistula patients for treatments.
In Nilphamari district, 26 fistula patients have been identified so far and 20 of them have recovered through operation and the remaining six are undergoing treatment.
“With the cooperation of all, especially working journalists, it is possible to reduce the number of fistula patients through creating social awareness about fistula for identifying and bringing fistula patients under cost-free treatment facilities,” Dr. Tahmina said. Dr. Rahman said LAMB Hospital, district and upazila level hospitals, union level health service providing facilities are working in a coordinated manner to identify fistula patients for their treatments and rehabilitation for a fistula free Nilphamari district.
