Kogi, partners offer lifeline to 18 women through free fistula surgeries

By Florence Kalu

No fewer than 18 women and girls suffering from obstetric fistula have undergone free corrective surgeries at the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, under a collaborative medical outreach aimed at restoring dignity, improving maternal healthcare and expanding access to specialised treatment for vulnerable patients.

The intervention, organised by the Sustainable Family Healthcare Foundation and the Fistula Foundation in collaboration with the Kogi State Ministry of Health, provided life-changing treatment to beneficiaries living with different form of obstetric fistula, a debilitating childbirth-related condition.

The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Oluseyi Bamidele Folagbade, described the programme as part of ongoing efforts to reduce maternal health complications, offer renewed hope to affected women and strengthen access to quality healthcare services across Kogi State and neighbouring communities.

According to him, obstetric fistula, including Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF), is a childbirth-related injury that results in an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina or between the rectum and the vagina.

He said, “The condition is commonly caused by prolonged obstructed labour, complications from unsafe Caesarean sections, or certain congenital defects.”

The free surgical outreach was organised by the Sustainable Family Healthcare Foundation and the Fistula Foundation in collaboration with the Kogi State Ministry of Health.

Speaking on the intervention, the Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams, described the programme as timely, particularly for indigent women who could not afford the cost of treatment. He assured residents of Kogi State and neighbouring states that the initiative would continue as part of ongoing efforts to improve access to quality healthcare services.

Adams also commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for creating an enabling environment that allows development partners and healthcare professionals to provide quality healthcare services across the state.

Also speaking, the State Focal Person of the Sustainable Family Healthcare Foundation and Fistula Foundation, Comrade Francis Eneojo Obaje, appreciated the Kogi State Government, the partner organisations, and the surgical team led by Dr. Idris Saad and Dr. (Mrs.) Halima Bello, alongside other doctors and nurses, for the successful conduct of the exercise.

He urged women living with obstetric fistula to seek prompt medical attention at recognised healthcare facilities rather than relying on traditional remedies, stressing that the condition is treatable.

Some beneficiaries of the programme, including Janet Alexander and Victoria Bunde, expressed gratitude to the organisers and sponsors for bringing the intervention to Kogi State, saying the free surgeries had restored their health, confidence, and hope for a better future.

The second phase of the free obstetric fistula repair programme was conducted from June 15 to June 18, 2026, at the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja.