The Hajiya Gambo Sawaba General Hospital (HGSGH) Fistula Centre, Zaria, says it has successfully repaired over 2,000 obstetric ...
Chief Surgeon of the centre, Dr Mohammed-Ado Zakari, disclosed this on Saturday during the 2026 commemoration of the International Day to End Fistula held at the hospital in Zaria.
Zakari said the centre currently carries out repairs on an average of 150 patients annually with over 70 per cent success rate.
According to him, five doctors and several nurses have also been trained at the centre under the mentorship of Dutch fistula surgeon, Dr Kees Waldijk.
He said the centre was established through collaborative efforts of the Kaduna State Government, Rotary International and Waldijk to tackle the growing burden of obstetric fistula in northern Nigeria.
Compass times reports that the 2026 theme for the International Day to End Fistula is: “Her Health is a Right: Invest in Ending Fistula and Childbirth Injury.”
The center used the day to offer a special session for heads of traditional and religious institutions.
The sessions urged the participants to leverage on the state health insurance scheme and other federal government interventions to harness access to improve quality and subsidized medical care.
Zakari described obstetric fistula as an abnormal hole between the vagina and bladder or rectum caused mainly by prolonged obstructed labour, leading to continuous leakage of urine or stool.
He said the condition remained a major public health and social problem, particularly among rural women with poor access to quality maternal healthcare services.
The surgeon revealed that globally, more than two million women were living with untreated obstetric fistula, while between 50,000 and 100,000 new cases occur yearly.
He added that Nigeria alone might have between 100,000 and one million women living with untreated fistula.
Zakari identified early marriage, home delivery, shortage of skilled birth attendants, poverty and prolonged obstructed labour as major causes of the condition.
He also raised concern over increasing cases linked to medical quackery and poor surgical practices.
According to him, over 60 per cent of the private clinics in Zaria did not have qualified medical personnel for maternal needs of the people.
"We currently have patients who were victims of such medical services from quack medical personnel undergoing fistula repairs in the center.
"I have retired, I have my private hospital but I know that the priorities of some private clinics were money not patient centered services," he said.
The surgeon, however, commended the Federal Government for interventions through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) initiatives.
Earlier, Dr. Hussaina Adamu, Medical Director of the Hospital reiterated the commitment of the hospital to a robust health services to VVF patients.
She called for more investments by governments, development partners and philanthropists to strengthen maternal healthcare services and eliminate fistula and childbirth injuries.
Reacting, Alhaji Sambo Shehu Idris, District of Zaria and Kewaye commended the center for the event.
Idris represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Sarki, Ward Head of Madarkaci lamented that traditional leaders were closest to communities as such they usually reports presence of quack centers.
He added that there were no action by relevant authorities thereby making them enemies to such illegal operators.
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