PROVINCE REPORT
KARACHI: Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) observed World Obstetric Fistula Day 2026 at the Agha Hasan Abidi Auditorium, SIUT Karachi, with a strong message: “Her Health is a Right: Invest to End Fistula and Childbirth Injuries.” The event highlighted the urgent need to improve maternal healthcare and build safe motherhood and fistula-free communities.
The awareness session brought together medical experts, including Prof. Murli Dhar from SIUT, Dr. Mohammed Soheb Nizam from USA, Prof. Pushpa Sirichand Sachdev from Isra University Hospital Hyderabad, and Prof. Riffat Jaleel from DUHS Karachi, who discussed the causes, prevention, treatment, and long-term impact of obstetric fistula on women’s lives.
Speaking on the occasion, experts explained that obstetric fistula is one of the most devastating yet preventable childbirth injuries. It usually occurs after prolonged obstructed labour when a woman does not receive timely medical treatment, particularly emergency obstetric care such as a Caesarean section. As a result, severe damage may occur between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, causing continuous leakage of urine or stool.
However, the suffering is not only physical. Women living with fistula often face social isolation, stigma, emotional trauma, and loss of dignity. Many are unable to continue normal family and social life because of a condition that is largely preventable and treatable.
Medical experts pointed out that nearly 4,000 to 5,000 women in Pakistan develop obstetric fistulas each year during childbirth. Yet many women, especially in rural areas, cannot reach hospitals in time because of long distances, poor transport systems, lack of free ambulance services, and deliveries conducted without skilled birth attendants.
Despite the growing need, only a limited number of women receive treatment each year because of the shortage of trained fistula surgeons. Nevertheless, timely surgery can restore health, confidence, and hope.
SIUT is among the few institutions in Pakistan providing free treatment with dignity for women suffering from fistula. Using modern minimally invasive techniques, the institute has so far performed more than 1,000 fistula surgeries. In 2025 alone, 39 fistula surgeries were successfully carried out, including nine robotic vesicovaginal fistula repairs. In addition, SIUT runs a Female Urology clinic every Friday, where these patients can also come.
The speakers stressed that obstetric fistula can largely be prevented through better maternal healthcare, timely emergency obstetric care, skilled birth attendants, stronger rural maternity services, and free ambulance networks. Therefore, investment in women’s healthcare is essential to protecting mothers and preventing avoidable childbirth injuries.
Observing World Obstetric Fistula Day, SIUT reaffirmed its commitment to safe motherhood, women’s health, and fistula-free communities. The institute emphasized that ending obstetric fistula is not only a medical responsibility but also a matter of women’s rights, social justice, and human dignity.
