The Vesicovaginal Fistula Centre of the Envagel Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, has treated 12,000 patients in the last 20 years.

The centre’s Director, Sunday Lengmang, said on Sunday in Jos.

The associate professor made the disclosure in Jos at the annual reunion ceremony it organised for former patients.

VVF is an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina that results in continuous passage of urine.

According to Mr Lengmang, the figure excluded those treated during various outreaches held in locations outside Jos.

He said, “So far, we have treated 12,000 women who suffered from fistula in our centre since its inception. This excludes the number of patients we treated during our outreaches and visits to other places. We have visited Taraba, Kano, Gombe, Lagos, Katsina, Uyo, and other states, to treat women with this challenge.’’

Mr Lengmang, however, decried the dearth of specialists in the field and called on the government to invest in the training of professionals in view of the rise in cases of VVF in the country.

He also called on the government to support the centre with funds, adding that the majority of the patients were largely poor and could hardly afford the treatment.

“This is a lonely area with few specialists; in Nigeria, there are only six specialists that can attend to complex cases or provide complete services in the treatment of VVF. Virtually all the patients we treated are poor; we are providing this treatment free.  So, we call on the government to support us with funds and invest in the training of specialists in this field of medicine,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Stephen Anzaku, said that the reunion brought together its former patients to connect and share experiences.

The CMD, who described the VVF centre as a unique unit in the hospital, said that the free treatment was usually carried out to put smiles on the faces of the patients.

Mr Anzaku called on the government and other individuals to support the centre to expand its operations to assist the rising number of patients afflicted by the illness.

“The rising cases of VVF in the country may force us to expand the centre and improve on its facilities to accommodate more patients,” he hinted.

One of the women treated at the centre, Sumaiya Ahmed, thanked the hospital for treating her free of charge.

Ms Ahmed, who commended the centre and the hospital for the humanitarian service, called on the government and groups to support it to do more toward curbing VVF in the country.

(NAN)