DailyPost correspondent has reported from the East that Consul General of the United States Consulate in Lagos, Mr. Jeffery Hawkins has promised that the American government would continue to support the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Ebonyi state for the treatment of women suffering from Vesico Vagina Fistula (VVF).
Hawkins who gave the assurance when he visited the centre in Abakaliki on Thursday, said the United States Agency for International Development, (USAID) would continue to provide assistance for the centre.
He urged the management of the hospital and the initiator of the centre, Ebonyi state First Lady, Mrs Josephine Elechi, not to relent over her effort towards ensuring that the centre remains largely committed to improving the health condition of women in the country.
The Consul General stressed that the American government was always eager to encourage projects that touch on promotion of health and human resource development.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Elechi announced that the centre, which started as her pet project before it was acquired by the federal government, had so far treated over 1600 indigent patients from 20 states in the country since its inception in 2008.
She added that over 195 clients with the uterine prolapse had equally received free treatment in the centre. She said: “You may wish to know that the centre has thus far provided free treatment for over 1600 indigent patients from over 20 states of the federation, while over 195 clients with the uterine prolapse have received free treatment in the centre.
“Furthermore, over 2000 women were screened for cervical and breast cancer in 2012 and women with pre-malignant lesions of the cervix were offered treatment.
“The centre is a National obstetric reference centre for the provision of free treatment, training, rehabilitation, research and prevention. I am pleased to inform you that the centre is collaborating with USAID in the areas of provision of consumables to sustain the free treatment programme, capacity building, prevention activities as well as research”.
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